The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has overshot the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) deadline. Today (January 31) was the date by which PCB’s renovation of three venues selected for the ICC Champions Trophy should have been done. No doubt that due to their issue with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), they were slightly delayed, but ICC had named them as the host for the event back in 2021.
Delay in Champions Trophy renovations
Yet, it wasn’t until August last year that they started the renovations. Irrespective of the India cricket team‘s travel plans for Pakistan, there is no doubt that the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, the National Stadium in Karachi, and the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium should have been ready by now.
PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi addressed the media earlier today and gave an update regarding the renovations of the three venues for the ICC Champions Trophy. He admitted that they had overshot the deadline. “Construction and renovation of Gaddafi Stadium was promised to be completed on January 31,” he told reporters in Lahore.
All stadiums in Pakistan to be ready by February 11?
The construction in Lahore had started in October, and four months later, the stadium was not ready. “Lahore stadium is going to be inaugurated on February 7, God willing,” Naqvi added. He also added that Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will reopen the Gaddafi Stadium in a week.
As for the National Stadium, it’s expected to be completed by February 11. Naqvi added that President Asif Ali Zardari will open the newly developed stadium in Karachi on February 11. Naqvi had reviewed the upgradation of the Rawalpindi Stadium a couple of days ago; he didn’t mention when it’ll open, but similar to the other two, the work is yet to be completed in Rawalpindi as well.
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