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As per reports, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi has declined an offer to sit in the VIP Hospitality box worth INR 3.5 crore at the Dubai International Stadium. The concerned game is the Champions Trophy 2025 clash between arch-rivals India and Pakistan, taking place on February 23 in Dubai.
Naqvi has reportedly decided to sit along with other spectators in the general enclosure, and directed the authorities to put the VIP box for sale and boost the revenues of PCB.
Notablty, PCB set a budget of INR 383 crore to renovate the stadiums of Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi for the Champions Trophy. However, the expenditure shot up to INR 561 crore, which has forced Pakistan to cut off their other spending to manage the cash flow.
Here’s what Mohsin Naqi told to Indian Express regarding the renovation of stadiums:
“Our stadiums last underwent significant renovations for the 1996 World Cup. Since then, the global cricketing landscape has evolved tremendously. We recognised that this event was an opportunity to showcase Pakistan’s ability to host top-tier international cricket, ensuring that our facilities meet the highest global standards for players, officials, and fans alike. The dedication and expertise of our workforce have been instrumental in transforming Gaddafi Stadium and National Stadium Karachi into world-class venues.”
“While financial details remain confidential, it is important to note that the PCB has made a significant investment in upgrading our cricket infrastructure. This has been fully funded by the PCB without any external grants and it will strengthen Pakistan’s cricketing ecosystem,” he added.
It is worth noting that it will be the first ICC event, Pakistan is hosting since the 1996 World Cup. They co-hosted the tournament along with India and Sri Lanka, which witnessed the Islanders winning their first title.
PCB offers explanation on Indian flag controversy ahead of Champions Trophy 2025
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has broken silence on the controversy surrounding the Indian flag ahead of the Champions Trophy. A video went viral on social media, where the flags of all participating nations barring India were hoisted on Karachi stadium’s roof. The development resulted in a backlash, with fans questioning the absence of the Indian flag.
Notably, India will play all their games in Dubai, which will act as the neutral venue. It all comes after India and Pakistan agreed to adopt a hybrid model whenever their neighbour hosts an ICC event.
In their explanation, the PCB source claimed that the Indian team not visiting Pakistan to take part in the showpiece event has resulted in the country’s flag not being hoisted.
“As you know, India is not coming to Pakistan to play its matches during the ICC Champions Trophy 2025; the National Stadium in Karachi, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium and the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore have hoisted flags of countries that are going to play at the said venues,” said a PCB source to IANS.
