Champions Trophy 2025: Upgradation work underway at Karachi stadium

KARACHI: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has kicked off up-gradation work at the National Bank Stadium Karachi (NBSK) ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

The mega event is scheduled to commence in February 2025.

As per details, the demolition work from the Naseem-ul-Ghani Enclosure to the Iqbal Qasim Enclosure is underway with the help of heavy machinery.

The manual scoreboard tower at the stadium is also being removed. The new structure will include media boxes and designated seating for broadcasters, along with a new area for commentators.

Hospitality boxes and the media gallery will also be constructed in the new location.

Later this month, Pakistan and Bangladesh are scheduled to play the second Test match in Karachi. Construction work will be paused during match hours and will resume once the match concludes each day.

It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan is set to host the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 from February to March in three major cities including Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi.

Group A consists of Pakistan, India, New Zealand, and Bangladesh, while Group B includes Australia, England, Afghanistan, and South Africa.

Earlier, Indian media reported that the International Cricket Council (ICC) has ‘approved’ a budget of around $70 million for Pakistan to host the Champions Trophy 2025 in February-March next year.

Indian media outlets reported that the budget was approved by the ICC’s financial and commercial committee chaired by Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah.