LAHORE - Pakistan are set to mark their return as a global cricketing hosts as they defend their ICC Champions Trophy title, starting with an opening clash against New Zealand today (Wednesday) at the National Stadium, Karachi at 2:00 PM PST. The ninth edition of the ICC Champions Trophy will be played across three venues in Pakistan – Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi – withadditional matches scheduled in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). The tournament, featuring eight top teams, will run from February 19 to March 9.
This marks Pakistan’s first time hosting an ICC event since the 1996 Cricket World Cup, where Sri Lanka lifted the coveted trophy at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. To ensure a world-class experience, major renovations have been carried out at the National Bank Stadium Karachi, the Gaddafi Stadium Lahore, and the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
Pakistan, the defending champions, won the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy under Sarfaraz Ahmed’s captaincy, defeating arch-rivals India in the final. Fakhar Zaman’s match-winning century (114 off 106 balls) and Hasan Ali’s tournament-best 13 wickets were key highlights of that campaign.
The eight teams in the tournament are split into two groups as Group A comprises Pakistan, India, New Zealand, Bangladesh while Group B includes Australia (ODI World Cup winners), England, South Africa, Afghanistan. The semifinals are scheduled for March 4 in Dubai and March 5 in Lahore, while the final will be held on March 9 at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore – unlessIndia qualify, in which case the final will be moved to Dubai International Cricket Stadium.Pakistan has a strong history in the Champions Trophy, having reached the semifinals in 2000, 2004, and 2009, in addition to their 2017 title triumph.
Ahead of the opening match of the ICC Champions Trophy against New Zealand in Karachi, Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan expressed his excitement. “A global event has returned to Pakistan after 29 years, and it is a moment of celebration for the entire nation. We are fully prepared, have learned from our past mistakes, and are focused on delivering strong performances. Our only goal is to win this tournament for our country and our people.”
PAKISTAN’S SQUAD: Mohammad Rizwan (captain & wicketkeeper), 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, Usman Khan.
PAKISTAN’S GROUP STAGE FIXTURES
Feb 19 vs New Zealand Karachi
Feb 23 vs India Dubai
Feb 27 vs Bangladesh Rawalpindi
