'It's not even 'R' of ready' - Aakash Chopra attacks PCB over underprepared Champions Trophy venues

Pakistan will be hosting an ICC event for the first time after 1996 with the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025 scheduled to commence from February 19. The renovation process of the three venues Rawalpindi, Lahore and Karachi started in August 2023 with the deadline for the same as 31 December 2024. But the Pakistan Cricket Board extended the date and stated that the venues will be ready by January 2. 

With almost 40 days to go for the mega event, speculations are on rife whether the stadiums will be match ready despite PCB’s official word. Former cricketer turned commentator, Aakash Chopra has shed a doubtful view on the preparations and condemned that the venues have not even reached the final stage of completion. 

“The Champions Trophy is supposed to happen, and you were given INR 600 crore to upgrade your venues and invest in infrastructure development. So you start working, and Pakistan did that as well. Then a video came out. It showed that it's not even 'R' of ready. The dressing room, the press box and the corporate box are not ready, and the floodlight job is not completed in some places,” said Chopra on his YouTube channel.

"As neither PCB nor any Pakistani outlet has refuted it and the ICC hasn't commented on it, we will assume it's true, and the truth is that one of the ICC deadlines to hand over the grounds has already crossed. If the ICC realistically feels you won't be able to get them ready, they have the right to take away the tournament from you completely," he added. 

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Subsequently, there were reports that the ICC delegation who visited the venues to examine the renovation process has not raised any major concerns. But clips from the venues surfacing paint a picture altogether with under-construction floodlights, stands, press box and dressing room, all have cast a shadow.