The ICC has expressed satisfaction with the Pakistan Cricket Board's preparations for the 2025 Champions Trophy.
Islamabad (Pakistan), October 22: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has expressed satisfaction with the comprehensive briefing provided by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials regarding the arrangements for next year's Champions Trophy, as reported by sources to Geo News.
The preparations were discussed during an ICC meeting on Monday, attended by PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi.Â
Sources indicated that during the meeting, PCB officials assured the ICC board members that the upgrades to the three stadiums designated to host matches for the prestigious event would be completed on schedule.
Naqvi extended an invitation to ICC board members to visit Pakistan to assess the preparations for the tournament. Although the Champions Trophy is set to commence next year in Pakistan, several challenges remain to be addressed.
Uncertainty continues regarding India's participation in the mega event, as they have not played any cricket tournaments in Pakistan since the 2008 Asia Cup, largely due to strained relations between the two nations stemming from terrorism issues.
The last bilateral series between India and Pakistan took place from December 2012 to January 2013 in India. Since then, the teams have only faced each other in ICC tournaments and the Asia Cup, while Pakistan has visited India three times since the 2008 Asia Cup.
Recently, reports emerged about the ICC considering three options for hosting the Champions Trophy. According to sources, the ICC is contemplating whether to proceed with the tournament in Pakistan as scheduled, split it between Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) under a hybrid model, or hold the entire tournament outside of Pakistan, with Dubai, Sri Lanka, or South Africa as potential hosts.
Pakistan has not hosted a major ICC event since co-hosting the 1996 ODI World Cup with India and Sri Lanka.