The Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore has a lot of pressure to convince everyone it is ready to host the ICC Champions Trophy. PCB offered glimpses of this revised stadium in Lahore on Friday. The iconic venue is undergoing its biggest upgrades since 1996 World Cup when Pakistan co-hosted it with India and Sri Lanka. The stadium is designed to host at least four matches presently and has a moat to separate the stands from the ground, preventing fans from invading the pitch.
The incident consists of 10-feet deep moats today, which guard security and drainage design, replacing the old steel cages.
As affirmed by The Nation, “The two VVIP enclosures are named after cricketing legends and honor the respective contributions Zaheer Abbas and Majid Khan made toward Pakistan cricket. The stadium has undergone considerable development benefiting ever since, with modern LED lights, high-resolution SMD screens, and renovated seating enhancing the viewing excitement and combining adequate international standards.”
The trench will have a protective net placed over it to prevent the ball from going out of play. The stadium will be inaugurated in preparation for Pakistan’s tri-series against South Africa and New Zealand in the lead-up to the Champions Trophy.
Pakistan are the defending champions after having last won this tournament in 2017. This time, Pakistan shall host this 2025 edition along with the UAE.
Mohammad Rizwan will be in charge, a position he has taken since Babar Azam stepped down from the role after the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in 2023. This tournament is the first such 50-over ICC competition since then.
Rising star batter Saim Ayub will be missed; he got injured on the ankle during Pakistan’s New Year’s Test in Cape Town, South Africa.
Pakistan squad: Mohammad Rizwan (c), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi
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