File photo of Mohsin Naqvi© X (formerly Twitter)
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi acknowledged the massive gap between international standards and the stadiums in Pakistan. Naqvi admitted that it is the responsibility of PCB to improve the facilities in the lead-up to the Champions Trophy 2025. He recently visited the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore to check the infrastructure and he pointed out the challenges that the Board can face if they decide to renovate the entire stadium. "There was a world of difference between our stadiums and those in the rest of the world. In no way were they international stadiums; koi bhi stadiums internationally qualify kaar hi nhi shkta tha — na seats the, na bathrooms aur view asa tha ki aap 500 metre door se dekh rahe hai (none of them could qualify as international by any standard — there weren't enough seats or bathrooms, and the view made it seem like you were watching from 500 meters away),” Naqvi stated.
The PCB chief also said that they are hopeful that the Gaddafi Stadium will be hosting marquee matches next year during the Champions Trophy. A plan to build a hotel nearby has also been sanctioned in order to make the travel easy for the teams. However, it is not confirmed that work will be completed on time.
"The Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) team is working day and night. We will make our stadiums one of the best in the world. Providing basic facilities in stadiums is our first priority," he added.
PCB had allocated approximately PKR 17 billion for renovating cricket stadiums at their three main centers ahead of the Champions Trophy, according to the news agency PTI.
While there have been no talks about removing the tournament from Pakistan, doubts remain over whether India will be travelling for the competition. India and Pakistan have not played a single bilateral series in almost a decade but Pakistan did travel to India for the 2023 ODI World Cup.