Abb Takk News
Abbtakk PakistanMOST POPULARNews TickerSportsTop NewsTRENDING

PCB finalizes schedule for champions trophy opening ceremony, sources

LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has reportedly finalized plans for the opening ceremony of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

According to the sources, Chairman PCB Mohsin Naqvi has given final date for ICC Champions Trophy 2025 opening ceremony.

Event will take place on February 7 at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, where Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is likely to be the chief guest.

After that the celebrations will move to National Stadium in Karachi, on February 11, with President Asif Ali Zardari expected to attend.

According to ICC sources, England and Australia are set to arrive in Lahore on February 18 and 19, respectively, as per the schedules provided by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Cricket Australia.

“Due to the late arrival of England and Australian teams the initial plan to hold the traditional opening ceremony featuring the participating teams and their captains has been cancelled,” the source revealed.

Bangladesh and India will land in Dubai on February 15, while Afghanistan will arrive in Islamabad on February 12. New Zealand and South Africa will already be in Pakistan, having played a tri-series in Lahore and Karachi from February 8 to 14.

According to some recent media reports, the Indian team  and their captain may not travel to Pakistan to attend the opening ceremony, mainly because of the strained political relations between the two neighbouring countries.

The Champions Trophy will kick off with Pakistan facing New Zealand in Karachi on February 19.