Much to the despair of the fans, the upcoming Champions Trophy will begin without an opening ceremony. As a result, traditional pre-tournament events such as the press conference featuring all eight captains and the official photoshoot session have also been scrapped with immediate effect.
However, reports suggest that preparations were initially underway by the PCB to hold a grand opening ceremony. Although the initiative was discussed internally between the PCB and the ICC, no public announcement about the same was made to the media.
What’s the major reason behind the opening ceremony cancellation?
It is believed that the opening ceremony of the Champions Trophy had to be terminated due to the late arrival of two teams. Both England and Australia are expected to arrive in Pakistan on February 18 & 19 respectively.
“Due to the late arrival of England and Australian teams the initial plan to hold the traditional opening ceremony featuring the participating teams and their captains has been cancelled.”
England have requested a one-week break after their grueling white-ball tour to India which will end on February 12. On the other hand, Australia have also requested a four-day rest period following the end of their Sri Lankan tour on February 14.
This development also puts an end to growing speculations surrounding Rohit’s visit to Pakistan for the captains’ conference.
PCB aims to celebrate the hosting of CT 2025
Despite the cancellation of the Champions Trophy opening ceremony, the PCB remains committed to making the hosting of the iconic event a resounding success. Currently, plans are in the works for a special event before the kickoff of the first fixture between Pakistan and New Zealand on February 19 in Karachi.
The PCB wants to celebrate on this monumental occasion as the country gears up to host their maiden ICC event after 29 long years.The marquee tournament will comprise two groups featuring four teams each. All teams will compete across 15 matches from February 19 to March 9, held across Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi and Dubai. While Pakistan, India, New Zealand, and Bangladesh are placed in Group A, teams such as Afghanistan, South Africa, England, and Australia are placed in Group B.
