Pakistan hopeful of hosting more ICC events after Champions Trophy 2025

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi is hopeful that hosting the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will open the doors for staging more ICC events in their country in the near future. Pakistan are all set to host an ICC event after 29 years on home soil since the 1996 ODI World Cup.

Ahead of the event, PCB worked extremely hard to make the upcoming tournament memorable for fans as they renovated their four venues to be used in the cricketing extravaganza. With just six days left for the Champions Trophy to get underway, Mohsin Naqvi is hopeful that a successful hosting of the tournament will make Pakistan a strong contender to host future ICC events.

advertisement

"The ICC (International Cricket Council) Champions Trophy 2025 is a culmination of those efforts. Our successful hosting of this event will further enhance Pakistan's credentials, positioning us as a strong contender for more ICC events in the next events cycle,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told Reuters.

"Security has long ceased to be a concern for visiting teams as we have consistently demonstrated our ability to provide a safe, secure and well-managed environment for international cricket," said Naqvi, who’s also the country's internal security chief.

Naqvi also mentioned the crucial role played by Pakistan’s domestic T20 tournament, Pakistan Super League (PSL), to show the country’s readiness to host a major event.

"Once we successfully staged home international series and consistently delivered PSL (Pakistan Super League) editions at world-class standards, the ICC accepted and recognised Pakistan's readiness to host a global event. The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 has been a monumental task, requiring extensive preparations in a limited timeframe. Our stadiums last underwent significant renovations for the 1996 World Cup, and since then, the global cricketing landscape has evolved tremendously,” he added.

Champions Trophy to begin on February 19

advertisement

The ICC Champions Trophy is all set to begin on February 19 with the opening game between Pakistan and New Zealand in Karachi. The tournament will feature eight teams divided into two groups of four each. Group A includes India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and New Zealand, while Australia, England, South Africa and Afghanistan are placed in Group B.

India will play all of their matches in Dubai after showing their reluctance to travel to Pakistan. The final of the tournament will also be played in Dubai if India qualifies for the summit clash.

Click here to read article