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Thursday, January 30, 2025

Delayed Team Arrivals Leads to Cancellation of Champions Trophy Opening Ceremony

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The opening ceremony for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 has been canceled due to the delayed arrival of two participating teams. As a result, there will be no press conference or pre-tournament photoshoot with the eight captains in Karachi. Indian captain Rohit Sharma will also skip the Karachi press conference. Despite speculation in the Indian media, the event was never officially confirmed, though earlier reports had hinted that preparations were underway.

Informed sources within the International Cricket Council (ICC) revealed that the schedules from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Cricket Australia (CA) indicate that England’s team will arrive in Lahore on February 18, while Australia follows on February 19. Bangladesh and India are expected in Dubai on February 15, and Afghanistan will reach Islamabad on February 12. New Zealand, Pakistan, and South Africa will already be in Pakistan after playing in a tri-nation one-day series in Lahore and Karachi from February 8 to 14.

Pakistan’s first match against New Zealand is set for February 19 in Karachi.

Sources further explained that England opted for a week-long break following their white-ball series against India, which ends on February 12, while Australia will wrap up their Sri Lanka tour by February 14 before taking a four-day break.

ICC sources, speaking on the condition of anonymity, confirmed that both the ICC and PCB had shown interest in hosting the opening ceremony, but due to the conflicting arrival schedules of England and Australia, it became unfeasible to organize any event before the tournament. Workload management for players was a key factor in this decision.

Moreover, both England and Australia have chosen to skip the warm-up matches, despite every team being entitled to two, in light of their packed schedules. This decision mirrors similar choices made by teams in past ICC events.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) clarified that while they had discussed the opening ceremony internally and with the ICC, no official schedule or details were ever released. The PCB confirmed that they had not formally confirmed the event, as it was never finalized.

However, the PCB is moving forward with plans to celebrate Pakistan’s hosting of the Champions Trophy, a milestone 29 years in the making. An event to highlight the excitement of Pakistani fans will take place before the February 19 match between Pakistan and New Zealand.

The PCB also emphasized that while they had expressed interest in the opening ceremony, it was always understood that such an event could only occur with the full participation of all teams, which is not possible given the current arrival schedules.

Pakistan will host at least 10 matches of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, with Dubai set to host three matches, including India’s and the first semi-final. If India doesn’t qualify for the final on March 9, the match will be held at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium; otherwise, it will take place in Dubai.

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