An ICC delegation will visit Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Saturday to evaluate preparations for the 2025 Champions Trophy.
This visit is part of the second phase of their Pakistan tour to inspect arrangements for the tournament, Express News reported.
The six-member delegation will review the stadium’s construction and renovation progress. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Director of International Cricket, Usman Wahla, along with other officials, will brief the team on the developments.
Rawalpindi is set to host three Champions Trophy matches: Bangladesh vs. New Zealand on February 24, Australia vs. South Africa on February 25, and Pakistan vs. Bangladesh on February 27.
In the final phase of their visit, the ICC team will travel to Lahore to assess upgrades at Gaddafi Stadium. Earlier this week, they inspected Karachi’s National Bank Stadium.
This marks the ICC’s fourth inspection tour to Pakistan in preparation for the tournament.
During their visit to Karachi, the delegation—which included ICC officials, broadcasters, and logistics experts—examined the readiness of National Bank Stadium and received a detailed briefing from Usman Wahla on the ongoing upgrades.
The upgrades at the National Bank Stadium are scheduled for completion by January 25, ensuring sufficient time for final touches before the tournament’s start.
The Champions Trophy will feature eight teams competing in 15 matches from February 19 to March 9 across three venues in Pakistan—Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi—and one in Dubai.
The teams are divided into two groups:
- Group A: Pakistan, India, New Zealand, Bangladesh
- Group B: Afghanistan, South Africa, England, Australia
The opening match between Pakistan and New Zealand will take place on February 19 in Karachi, while the much-anticipated Pakistan-India clash is scheduled for February 23 in Dubai.
