PCB proposes February 19 start for Champions Trophy 2025

The PCB has proposed to start on February 19 next year’s Champions Trophy in Pakistan. ESPNcricinfo understands that the PCB has scheduled the tournament to be played from February 19 to March 9, in Karachi, Rawalpindi and Lahore. Karachi will host three matches, including the tournament opener and the semi-finals, while Lahore will host seven matches, including the final. The other semi-final will be one of the five matches to be held at the Pindi Cricket Ground.

Several ICC officials visited Pakistan to review the preparations for hosting the first ICC tournament in Pakistan since the 1996 World Cup. They include security and event officials and chief pitch inspector Andy Atkinson, and it is understood that the PCB has received positive feedback from the ICC regarding equipment and arrangements, allowing it to go ahead with its plans.

The current dates, if finalized, mean that the third tournament will be held in the month of Ramadan, as was the case last year for the PSL. Some knock-out games in Karachi have seen very low attendance during Ramadan. The PCB tried and accepted that by moving the starting times to 9 pm, although the Champions Trophy is an ODI tournament, that will not happen. That means large portions of the games will take place between sunrise and sunset when players observing Ramadan cannot eat or drink.

As always the big question before the event will revolve around India’s participation. An Indian team has not played in Pakistan since the Asia Cup in 2008, and there has not been a bilateral series between the two since they toured Pakistan with the white ball in 2012-13. When the PCB hosted the Asia Cup last year, the solution involved deploying a hybrid model that saw a number of matches – including all of India’s – take place in Sri Lanka with the final, which India won, being held in Colombo. The BCCI has maintained that the decision to go to Pakistan is in the hands of the Indian government.

Every team except India participating in the upcoming Champions Trophy has traveled to Pakistan since cricket returned to the country in 2015. Pakistan will also have an ODI tri-series involving South Africa and New Zealand before the tournament.