Gaddafi Stadium to be reopened in first week of Feb: PCB chairman – Sport

The Gaddafi Stadium — under renovation for the ICC Champions Trophy to be held in Pakistan next month — will reopen in the first week of February, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi said during his visit to the stadium in Lahore on Friday.

The reconstruction of three stadiums — in Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi — which started on Oct 10 last year, looked in peril at one time as the board tried to finish the preparations for Pakistan’s first ICC event since the World Cup in 1996.

While speaking to the media in Gaddafi Stadium today, the PCB chairman said that the preparations were on schedule and the inauguration will take place in the first week of Feb.

“It is the first time in history that a stadium, equipped with the latest international facilities, is prepared in Pakistan,” Naqvi said, adding that fans, along with players, would enjoy the facilities.

Earlier this month, the board extended the deadline to Feb 2 from the previous Jan 25, stating that most of the finishing work on the stadium was completed but the final touch would need 10 more days.

The two other stadiums under renovation for the event in Rawalpindi and Karachi are facing similar delays, however, the board has said that the preparations will be completed on time.

Squad announcement

Separately, according to the International Cricket Council’s website, the Green Team is the only one out of the seven outfits yet to announce the squad for the tournament. However, according to the official Champions Trophy website, PCB has submitted an interim list of 20 players to the ICC.

Pakistan has to consider several factors for the squad — injury to opener Saim Ayub and the inclusion of top order batter Fakhar Zaman who has been entrenched in controversy since he breached the players’ code of conduct.

The deadline to finalise squads and or to replace a player within the decided outfits is February 12, according to the Cricket Council’s official website.

PCB’s media and communications director Samiul Hasan Burney told Dawn.com that the announcement for the squad of the ICC Champions Trophy was expected later today.

Pakistan, South Africa and New Zealand will also feature in a short ODI tri-series in Lahore and Karachi from Feb 8 to 14, the squad for which would be announced later today, Burney said.