The ICC Champions Trophy will run from February 19 to March 9, but concerns over Pakistan’s preparedness grew when scenes of incomplete construction work at stadiums in all three host cities suggested delay and went viral on social media earlier this week. However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has refuted those as mere rumours, assuring on-time delivery of the venues.
The tournament will be played at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, National Stadium in Karachi and the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, besides matches in Dubai, where India’s fixtures will be hosted as per a pre-decided hybrid arrangement.
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A PCB official confirmed that the tournament remains on track in Pakistan, slamming reports that suggested it might be relocated because of stadiums not being ready on time.
A delegation of the International Cricket Council (ICC) also visited the stadium in Karachi to take stock of things.
“The PCB has spent nearly PKR 12 billion to upgrade our stadiums to make them fitting for an event like the Champions Trophy, which was awarded to us,” the source said, as quoted by PTI.
Additionally, the source mentioned that an unauthorised person recorded footage of ongoing construction at the National Stadium in Karachi and uploaded it on social media.
“The stadium’s work is being monitored closely by the PCB and concerned officials, and they would be ready to host the Champions Trophy matches on time,” he said.
The official further said that previous updates regarding the stadium’s construction progress were released to counter media speculation suggesting venue changes due to incomplete facilities.
“We gave the statement because our media also started flashing such speculative news without checking the facts. This would have caused chaos and confusion amongst the PCB, ICC, government, commercial partners and fans, affecting the ticketing and marketing of the event,” he said.