None of our pitches meet international standards, says PCB chief ahead of Champions Trophy

• Naqvi hopes to complete the renovations before the Champions Trophy.
• The PCB chief says the upgrade work is going on day and night.
• It underlines the commitment to provide basic facilities at the stadiums.
  

LAHORE: With preparations for the Champions Trophy 2025 in full swing, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi has justified the board’s initiative to upgrade the Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi venues, saying none of the country’s grounds are meets international standards.

“There is a huge difference in the international stadiums and ours […] None of our pitches are of international standard,” Naqvi said while speaking to the media during his visit to review the upgrade work of Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on Monday.

The PCB chief’s remarks come as the board has decided to renovate the Karachi National Stadium, Rawalpindi International Cricket Stadium along with the Lahore venue at a cost of Rs 12.8 billion ahead of the 2025 Champions Trophy to be hosted by the aforementioned arenas.

Last week, the president approved the plans for the stadiums during his visit to BDP Pattern’s, a renowned UK-based architecture firm, headquarters in London.

Meanwhile, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has also approved a budget of around $70 million for the tournament which is expected to be held in February-March next year. The amount will cover expenses incurred during the support period scheduled from February 12 to 18.

A day earlier, the board had announced its decision to shift the second Test of the two-match series between Pakistan and Bangladesh from Karachi to Rawalpindi due to ongoing renovation and construction work at the National Stadium

Elaborating on the upgrade project, Naqvi stressed that the construction work is being carried out at a fast pace and expressed hope that the difficult task will be completed before Champions Trophy 2025.

“The Frontier Works Organization (FWO) team is working day and night. [We] it will make our stadiums one of the best in the world […] provision of basic facilities at the stadiums is [our] top priority,” the PCB chief added.

Commenting on shifting the Pakistan-Bangladesh Test to Rawalpindi, he said security agencies had advised them to play matches without spectators and the decision was taken after due consultation and further observed that more changes can be made in future as well.

Denying any lack of coordination, Naqvi also highlighted that the board has acquired a building near the Gaddafi stadium which will be converted into a team hotel. However, he added, the project is complex and it will become clear in the next 10 days whether it will be completed before next year’s mega event or not.