Champions Trophy opener today marks new beginning of Pakistan cricket
Published by
Kashif Zia
1 year ago
KARACHI: The ninth edition of the ICC Champions Trophy is set to kick off today at the National Bank Cricket Stadium in Karachi between the host Pakistan and New Zealand.
The much-anticipated tournament will start with an opening ceremony, which will be attended by President Asif Ali Zardari as the chief guest and will feature an aerial display by the Pakistan Air Force’s Sherdils team.
The first ball of the opening match will be bowled at 2 pm PST.
The tournament will mark the return of the ICC event to Pakistan as the country faced a hiatus of the ICC tournaments for 29 years.
The 1996 Cricket World Cup was the last event Pakistan hosted, which concluded with the final at the Gaddafi Stadium, where Sri Lanka defeated Australia by seven wickets.
A terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team’s bus in Lahore in 2009, which wounded six players, has led to the wilderness in Pakistan’s stadiums. International cricket returned from the country for nearly a decade.
Following the attack, Pakistan lost the hosting rights to the 2009 Champions Trophy and was ruled out as co-hosts of the 2011 World Cup.
At present, all seven teams, except India, will travel to Pakistan for the current event in the three major cities.
In the lead-up to the ICC Champions Trophy, the three venues – Gaddafi Stadium Lahore, National Stadium Karachi, and Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium – have undergone major upgrades, offering players and spectators world-class facilities.
People attend the inauguration of the National Bank Stadium after the completion of renovation works ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 tournament in Karachi, Pakistan February 11, 2025. [REUTERS]
The eight-team tournament will be played across three venues in Pakistan as well as in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) from 19 February to 9 March.
The teams have been divided into two groups with hosts Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, and New Zealand pooled in Group A while Group B comprises Afghanistan, current ODI World Cup champions Australia, England, and South Africa.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi hailed the tournament’s commencement as a victory for a peaceful and secure Pakistan.
“The entire nation, including himself, takes pride in hosting the event. He further remarked that the Champions Trophy is not just a tournament but also a celebration of culture and tradition,” PCB press release quoted Naqvi as saying.
Pakistan as the defending champion
Pakistan, the host and one of the favorites, will enter the tournament as the defending champions, having beaten India in the final of the 2017 edition, led by Sarfaraz Ahmed.
Fakhar Zaman was the player of the final for his imperious 114 off 106 deliveries, while Hasan Ali was named the player of the tournament for his tally of 13 wickets in five games.
Apart from winning this tournament in 2017, Pakistan has also reached the semi-finals of this competition on three occasions: 2000, 2004, and 2009.
Green Shirts will face Black Caps today in their opening encounter and following that they will play their next two group matches on February 23 against arch-rival India in Dubai and on February 27 against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi.
Pakistan’s players warm up during a practice session ahead of their match against New Zealand in Karachi on Wednesday. [Asif Hassan/AFP]
In the group stage, three matches apiece will be played in Dubai, Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi.
Addressing the pre-match press conference on Tuesday, Pakistan skipper Mohammad Rizwan said, “A global event has come to Pakistan after 29 years, so I believe the entire nation is celebrating this historic occasion.”
Rizwan added, “There are no doubts about our performance, we have worked hard and learned from our mistakes. We hope that we play well tomorrow Insha’Allah.”
“Our sole focus is on winning the tournament for the country and our people and we hope that we achieve the desired results.”
Arrangements for event
As the tournament kicks off from Karachi, Sindh Police have deployed over 6,700 personnel from the Special Security Unit (SSU) and other law enforcement agencies to ensure security during the ICC Champions Trophy in Karachi.
According to security officials, the SSU has assigned 1,045 commandos, including female officers, to manage security operations. Additionally, 1,745 personnel from the Security Division, 1,390 from the Traffic Police, and 328 officers from the Special Branch have been stationed across key locations.
Security personnel have been deployed at Karachi’s National Bank Cricket Stadium, the airport, designated routes, parking areas, hotels, and other critical points. Sharpshooters have also been positioned at sensitive locations for added security.
Pakistan’s police commando walks past posters displayed ahead of the Champions Trophy, outside the National Stadium in Karachi on February 17, 2025. [AFP]A specialised unit of highly trained commandos remains on high alert and will conduct routine patrols around the stadium.
According to the Traffic deputy inspector general, both lanes of Sir Shah Suleman Road will remain open, while special parking arrangements have been made at the National Coaching Centre and China Ground.
The traffic advisory said that the vehicles coming from Karsaz will be directed to these designated parking areas via taking the route under the flyover.
Heavy traffic will be allowed to move from Sohrab Goth to Nipa, from Liaquatabad No 10 to Hassan Square, and from PP Chowrangi to University Road.
However, routes from Karsaz to the stadium, Millennium to New Town, and the Stadium Signal to Hassan Square will be closed to heavy vehicles.
The Traffic DIG has urged spectators not to park their cars or motorcycles on the roads or service lanes, advising them to use only the designated parking areas.
Squads:
Pakistan:
Mohammad Rizwan (captain and wicket-keeper), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Kamran Ghulam, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Salman Ali Agha (vice-captain), Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan.
New Zealand: Mitchell Santner (c), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Nathan Smith, Kane Williamson, Will Young, Jacob Duffy.
Bangladesh: Nazmul Hossain Shanto (c), Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan, Tawhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, MD Mahmud Ullah, Jaker Ali Anik, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Parvez Hossain Emon, Nasum Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Nahid Rana.
Afghanistan: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Ikram Alikhil, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharoti, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Farid Malik, Naveed Zadran. Reserves: Darwish Rasooli, Bilal Sami.
England: Jos Buttler (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Tom Banton, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Mark Wood.
Australia: Steve Smith (c), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Tanveer Sangha, Matthew Short, Adam Zampa. Travelling reserve: Cooper Connolly.
South Africa: Temba Bavuma (c), Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs, Rassie van der Dussen, Corbin Bosch. Travelling reserve: Kwena Maphaka.