The head of the Pakistan Cricket Board, Mohsin Naqvi, recently went to Lahore to see Gaddafi Stadium. He noticed that the stadium in Pakistan is not as big as others around the world.
Naqvi went to Gaddafi Stadium to look at its facilities and said that the PCB needs to make improvements before the 2025 Champions Trophy. He also mentioned the difficulties the board would have if they decided to rebuild the whole stadium.
“Our stadiums were very different from those in other countries. They couldn’t be called international stadiums because they didn’t have enough seats, bathrooms, and the view was so far away it felt like you were watching from 500 meters away,” Naqvi said.
“The Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) team is working hard day and night. We aim to make our stadiums among the best in the world. Our top priority is to provide basic facilities in the stadiums,” he added.
The PCB chief is hopeful that the Gaddafi Stadium will host some important matches next year during the Champions Trophy.
Reports say that PCB has set aside about PKR 17 billion to renovate cricket stadiums at their three main locations before the Champions Trophy.
The National Bank Stadium in Karachi is currently being upgraded, so the Pakistan Cricket Board has decided to relocate the second test match between Pakistan and Bangladesh to Rawalpindi.
The PCB explained that they didn’t want to delay the improvements at the stadium, as they need it to be fully prepared for the Champions Trophy event on schedule. Pakistan is set to hold the Champions Trophy starting from February 19, 2025.
Karachi is also scheduled to welcome one of the three test matches with England in October. The PCB mentioned that they will keep collaborating with the architects and construction specialists to ensure everything goes smoothly.
