Venues Unprepared Despite PCB's Massive Investment; Can Pakistan Host Champions Trophy?

Some old visuals of the Gaddafi Stadium in Pakistan (Source: @meedaNadeem,@sohailimrangeo/X.com)

If the ongoing bustle is to believed then the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has invested a staggering 12 billion Pakistani rupees to renovate key cricket stadiums in Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi in preparation for the upcoming Champions Trophy, set to begin on February 19. The National Stadium Karachi (NSK) and Gaddafi Stadium Lahore are among the significant venues undergoing extensive upgrades to meet international standards.

Renovations Still In Progress

NSK is one of Pakistan's most famous cricket grounds. It is going to be renovated with a new five-story building. The upgrade will include state-of-the-art dressing rooms, physio rooms, and ICC Anti-Corruption and Anti-Doping units. The stadium will also have 24 new corporate boxes, better seating, renovated washroom facilities, and two digital scoreboards for better visibility during day and night matches. 

There will also be six new LED floodlight poles for evening games with state-of-the-art lighting.

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The Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore also has been significantly upgraded with new corporate and hospitality facilities as well as improved player amenities. All these works are part of the PCB's broader effort to elevate Pakistan's cricket infrastructure in terms of matching international event requirements.

However, one major concern from the financial viewpoint is the close schedule. Now, with less than a few weeks to the Champions Trophy, the renovation work is getting a bit on the tight schedule. Arshad Khan, General Manager at NSK, said it would be over by the last week of January. However, some parts of the stadiums were still under renovation.

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