PCB announces 12.8 Billion for upgrading top stadiums ahead of Champions Trophy 2025

Pakistan are set to host the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, making it the first ICC event hosted in the country after more than two decades. The terrorist attack when Sri Lanka toured Pakistan in 2009, which injured several Sri Lankan players, had the ICC turn its face away from the country. But things seem to have worked between the two and as the nation prepares for the event, 12.80 billion Rupees have been allotted for upgrading stadiums.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has left no stone unturned to get all the derivatives on board. As part of the stadium upgrades, Gaddafi Stadium, National Stadium, and Pindi Cricket Stadium will receive a major boost in the revenue share. The move came after the Pakistan Cricket Board’s Board of Governors (BoG) meeting as they approved the 2024-25 budget at the National Cricket Academy on Saturday.

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The PCB has reportedly also successfully bought a 31,581-square feet plot near the Gaddafi Stadium to build a hotel and accommodate international players during the event and beyond. PCB had initially planned to buy an under-construction building nearer to the National Cricket Academy but with the plot being bought, it will remain under the Board’s name. Further adding, according to reports, construction has begun at the Gaddafi Stadium with the entrance demolished and making way for an upgraded structure. 

Pakistan grappling to make it big at ICC events

Talking on the cricketing front, Pakistan have failed to lay their hands on an ICC trophy since their 2017 Champions Trophy win. The team managed to reach the final of the T20 World Cup 2022 but succumbed to England. Since then, things have gone down south for Men-In Green, getting ousted from the group stages of World Cup 2023 and T20 World Cup 2024. There have been reports by The Dawn of a complete restructuring in the team and the management.