The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has denied the claims stating that the final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will be held in Dubai. Back on Tuesday, The Telegraph reported that the final of the next year’s Champions Trophy will be shifted from Pakistan, if India makes it to the final, then instead of Lahore it will be played in Dubai.
PCB, however, has claimed, it will leave no stone unturned to stage the final of the ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan as well.
“There is absolutely no truth to the reports suggesting that the Champions Trophy final could be moved outside Pakistan,” a PCB official told Cricket Pakistan on Tuesday. “We are making proper efforts to make sure that the tournament’s arrangements are well in place, and we believe that Pakistan can host the event in the best possible way.”
The matches of the Champions Trophy next year in Pakistan are planned for cities like Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Karachi, and at present the venues are undergoing renovations in order to make the venues more comfortable for hosting the events of the Champions Trophy next year.
A total of eight teams are scheduled to travel to Pakistan next year, for the taking of the Champions trophy in this country, which is fixed between February 19 to 9 March.
In Lahore, seven matches are set to be played, including the final match of the tournament. The opening game and one semi-final will be held at the National Stadium in Karachi. The city of Rawalpindi will stage five matches, including the other semi-final.
The semi finals are slated to be held in Karachi and Rawalpindi, on March 5 and 6 respectively, while Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore will host the final on March 9.
The last time India played a cricket match in Pakistan was back in July 2008 when it went there for the Asia Cup 2008 in Karachi. In the final of the 2008 edition, the Indian squad faced an embarrassing loss to Sri Lanka.
Thanks to political conflicts that have prevailed between the two nations for almost 16 years, India has not visited Pakistan. However, Pakistan has toured India three times. In December 2012-January 2013, the Green Team engaged in a bilateral white-ball series and later participated in the 2016 T20 World Cup and the 2023 ODI World Cup.
