100-Ball Cricket Schedule Takes Shape as Pakistan Prepares for Champions Trophy Return
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has unveiled its plans for the highly anticipated 2025 Champions Trophy, set to be the first ICC tournament hosted in Pakistan since the 1996 World Cup. According to ESPNcricinfo’s Pakistan correspondent Danyal Rasool, several ICC officials have visited the country to inspect the arrangements, and the PCB has received positive feedback, allowing them to move forward with their proposal.
The PCB has proposed a February 19 start for the Champions Trophy, with the tournament running until March 9. Matches will be played across three venues: Karachi, Rawalpindi, and Lahore. Karachi will host the tournament opener and a semi-final, while Lahore will be the site of the final and seven other matches. The second semi-final will be one of five contests held at the Pindi Cricket Ground in Rawalpindi.
The scheduling of the tournament during the Ramadan period poses some challenges, as the knockout stage of the Pakistan Super League last year saw a low turnout in Karachi due to the sunrise-to-sunset fasting requirement. The PCB has attempted to accommodate this by proposing a 9 PM start time, but the nature of the Champions Trophy as an ODI event means this may not be feasible.
Another notable aspect of the proposed schedule is the decision to base all of India’s matches in Lahore, which is located near the Wagah border crossing between India and Pakistan. This is likely an effort to minimize logistical and security complications around the Indian team’s travel. However, the BCCI has maintained that the decision to participate in Pakistan rests with the Indian government.
Apart from India, every other team in the upcoming Champions Trophy has traveled to Pakistan since the return of international cricket to the country in 2015. Additionally, Pakistan will host an ODI tri-series featuring South Africa and New Zealand prior to the tournament.
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