No Pakistani stadiums at par with international standards, PCB chairman says ahead of Champions Trophy

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi visits stadium renovation site at the Qaddafi Stadium in Lahore on August 19, 2024. (PCB)

• Mohsin Naqvi says Pakistani stadiums in present state lack bathrooms, adequate seats and offered poor viewing experience
• Statement comes as PCB renovates Pakistani stadiums in Karachi and Lahore ahead of February 2025 Champions Trophy event

ISLAMABAD: None of Pakistan’s cricket stadiums in their present condition meet international standards, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi admitted on Monday, as the South Asian country spruces up its grounds ahead of next year’s marquee Champions Trophy tournament.
The PCB has been carrying out renovation work at the Lahore and Karachi stadiums ahead of Champions Trophy 2025, scheduled to be held in February next year at three venues in Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi. The international tournament will be the first ICC one to be held in Pakistan since the ODI World Cup was last hosted by the country in 1996.
Pakistani fans have long complained that the country’s stadiums, especially the National Bank Stadium in Karachi, are not equipped with basic facilities and offer a poor viewing experience for spectators.
Speaking to reporters after reviewing construction work at the Qaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Naqvi said there is a huge difference between Pakistan’s cricket stadiums in their present state and other international stadiums across the world.
“With apologies, none of your stadiums could qualify according to international [standards],” Naqvi said. “Neither did they have seats, nor bathrooms and the view was such that it seemed you were watching from 500 meters away,” he added.
The PCB announced last week it would hold the second Test against Bangladesh in Karachi without spectators due to the ongoing construction work. However, it said on Sunday that the Test would be played in Rawalpindi instead of Karachi due to the renovation.
When asked whether there was a lack of coordination in the PCB, Naqvi said:
“There is no lack of coordination between anybody,” Naqvi said. “The PCB had planned to hold matches there without spectators but when security institutions tell us to hold the matches without any crowd and to also stop construction activity, then it is not possible to hold matches.”
Another reporter asked Naqvi whether the construction work at Pakistan’s stadiums would be complete by the time the ICC starts its inspection for the mega tournament next month, the PCB chairman said:
“Yes, for sure. The stadium in New York was completed in the last 10-15 days [before the T20 World Cup 2024]. We will complete it before then.”
The first Test between Pakistan and Bangladesh begins on August 21 in Rawalpindi, where the hosts are preparing to go in without a specialist spinner in anticipation of a pitch with pace and carry. The second Test will start at the same venue on August 30.