New Delhi: Amidst rising concerns over the readiness of the venues, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the International Cricket Council (ICC) have confirmed the date of the opening ceremony of the upcoming Champions Trophy.
According to a source in the PCB who spoke to PTI, the opening ceremony is set to be held on February 16 in Lahore as PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi has approved a scheduled list of events ahead of the tournament opener between Pakistan and New Zealand at the National Stadium in Karachi on February 19.
According to the source, the PCB will officially open the renovated Gaddafi stadium on February 7 in the attendance of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, who has been invited as the chief guest.
Four days later on February 11, the PCB is set to launch the renovated National Stadium in Karachi with a ceremony graced by President Asif Ali Zardari.
The source also revealed that the PCB and ICC were also working together to fix a schedule of the captains’ press conferences and photoshoots. The likely date for the pre-tournament presser is February 16.
Opening ceremony set to be held at Huzoori Bagh in Lahore
The opening ceremony is set to be held at Huzoori Bagh at the historic Lahore fort. The grand ceremony will witness officials of different boards, celebrities, legends of the game, and government officials.
It is still not clear whether India captain Rohit Sharma will be travelling to Lahore for the events.
India will play their Champions Trophy fixtures in Dubai as part of a hybrid model deal between the ICC, PCB and BCCI. In case the Men in Blue qualify for the final, then the summit clash will also be held in UAE on March 9.
Pakistan have missed three deadlines to complete the renovation work of the stadiums in Karachi and Rawalpindi pictures and videos of under-construction stadiums are dominating the internet. The lack of preparedness before such a big event has raised question marks on ICC’s decision to award the hosting rights to Pakistan.
ICC Champions Trophy: Besides the opening ceremony, PCB and ICC were also working together to fix a schedule of the captains’ press conferences and photoshoots. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
