According to Radio Pakistan, Mohsin Naqvi, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), declared on Thursday that the “best possible facilities” will be provided for spectators to enjoy the forthcoming ICC Champions Trophy tournament.
He made these remarks when he visited Karachi’s National Stadium today to examine the current renovation and development projects.
The ICC Champions Trophy will take place in Pakistan from February 19 to March 9 of next year, with National Stadium Karachi serving as one of the sites.
According to knowledgeable sources who spoke to Dawn, the International Cricket Council (ICC) called an internal meeting with its sponsors and stakeholders on Thursday after failing to announce a new date for its Board meeting to end the Champions Trophy standoff after India’s refusal to travel to Pakistan.
India’s unwillingness to send its national team to Pakistan for the event, citing unspecified reasons, is the root of the impasse.
According to the PCB statement on X, both of the stadium’s score screens will now be positioned above the posts per Naqvi’s directive.
“The fans won’t have any trouble watching the match because the screens are positioned at a height,” stated the PCB chairperson.
He also mentioned that after the new LED lights are put in, fans would be able to enjoy light displays at the stadium.
Naqvi gave his staff instructions to preserve quality while completing the work before the Champions Trophy began.
The PCB chairman was informed on the project’s status by Frontier Works Organization representatives during the visit.
According to sources who spoke to Dawn on Monday, the PCB has indicated that it is open to accepting the hybrid model, which is a big change from its previous position of flatly rejecting it. However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is still considering how best to proceed with its recommendations to the ICC.
According to the report, the deadline for announcing the Champions Trophy schedule was November 20. However, the BCCI is still unclear and has not yet accepted the hybrid formula that the PCB submitted. The hybrid model states that during tournaments hosted by India and Pakistan, respectively, Pakistan and India will play their matches at neutral locations.
