Champions Trophy: India's practice game in Dubai, ICC monitors preparation in Pakistan

Champions Trophy 2025: The International Cricket Council is working towards finalising the practice facilities and the venues for the warm-up matches. The ICC delegation is keeping a close eye on the renovation work at the three venues in Pakistan.

In Short

• India likely to play one warm-up match before their Champions Trophy opener
• ICC keeping a close eye on renovation work at three venues in Pakistan
• Pakistan dismissed reports claiming delays in renovation work

India are likely to play a practice match in Dubai before they begin their Champions Trophy 2025 campaign in the UAE. The International Cricket Council (ICC) is working out practice facilities across all four venues and the schedule for the warm-up matches for the eight participating teams.

Meanwhile, the ICC is keeping a close eye on the renovation work of the three stadiums in Pakistan. As of now, no concerns have been raised by the ICC delegation, sources told India Today on Thursday, January 09.

There is a contingency plan in place, which is not unusual as all major events have one. PCB had allocated 17 billion rupees for upgrading its stadiums in Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy, which is the first major cricket tournament hosted by Pakistan since the 1996 World Cup.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday dismissed reports that claimed delays in renovation work on the stadiums in Pakistan. A media report claimed that ICC was exploring the possibility of moving all matches out of Pakistan and hosting the entire tournament in Dubai. However, the PCB, in a statement, asserted that the renovation work is on track and the stadiums will be ready before the deadline.

Full Schedule: Champions Trophy 2025

Pakistan has set a revised deadline of January 25, which was initially December 31.

Furthermore, the PCB decided to move four matches of a tri-series, involving Pakistan, New Zealand and South Africa, in the second week of February from Multan to Lahore and Karachi to indicate the venues' readiness to host Champions Trophy matches.

"The responsibility for the venue lies with the host associations. Even the pitches are being worked on by them, although the ICC pitch manager oversees the process if required," the source said.

"It remains to be seen how things progress with the stadium construction. While there are always standby options, it is too early to comment on them," it added.

Teams are expected to arrive in Pakistan well before the tournament opener between Pakistan and New Zealand, scheduled for February 19 at the National Stadium in Karachi. The technical phase of the Champions Trophy will start on February 12.