Daily Times

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi announced on Thursday that preparations for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy tournament have been completed and fans will experience the event with the “best possible facilities”, Radio Pakistan reported.

He expressed these views during his visit to National Stadium in Karachi today where he reviewed the ongoing construction and upgradation work. National Stadium Karachi is one of the venues for the ICC Champions Trophy to be held in Pakistan from February 19 to March 9 next year. The International Cricket Council (ICC) still unable to announce a fresh date for its Board meeting to resolve the deadlock on the Champions Trophy following India’s refusal to visit Pakistan, has convened an internal meeting with its sponsors and stakeholders on Thursday, well-informed sources told Dawn. The deadlock stems from India’s refusal to send its national team to Pakistan for the tournament, citing unspecified reasons. The PCB statement on X mentioned that upon Naqvi’s instructions, both the score screens at the stadium will now be installed at a height above the posts. The PCB chairperson said, “As the screens are installed at a height, the fans will not face any difficulty in watching the match.” He also added that spectators will be able to enjoy light shows at the stadium once the new LED lights are installed. Naqvi directed his team to complete the work before the start of the Champions Trophy while instructing them to maintain quality. During the visit, the officials of Frontier Works Organisation briefed the PCB chairman on the progress of the project. Sources informed Dawn on Monday that while the PCB has expressed its willingness to accept the hybrid model – a significant shift from its earlier stance of rejecting it outright – the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) remains in deliberations over how best to move forward with its proposals to the ICC. Per the report, the cut-off date for the announcement of the schedule for the Champions Trophy was Nov 20 but confusion persists with the BCCI, which is yet to accept the hybrid formula presented by the PCB. According to the hybrid model, Pakistan and India will play their matches at neutral venues for events hosted by India and Pakistan, respectively.