ICC Champions Trophy 2025 LIVE: Police officers stand guard outside the National Bank Stadium, where final preparations are going on for upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025, in Karachi. (AP Photo)ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Starting tomorrow, Pakistan hosts its first major ICC tournament since co-hosting the 1996 World Cup with Sri Lanka and India. The ICC Champions Trophy will mean that a big-ticket event will be hosted by Pakistan after three decades. The 2025 Champions Trophy will see almost all big teams from the world travel to Pakistan. Only India will be playing their home matches in UAE in the hybrid format. The two teams will face off in UAE. Despite the match being played ion neutral venue, there will be fever pitch excitement for the game.
Cricket fans in Pakistan have largely been deprived of live action in their country after the 2009 terror attack on the Sri Lanka team at Lahore. The attack led to international teams avoiding tours to Pakistan for almost a decade because of security concerns. The Sri Lankan test team returned in 2019 as international cricket made slow inroads back.
What is the Champions Trophy?
The eight-nation, limited-overs tournament hasn’t been contested since 2017, when Pakistan beat India in the final in England. The Champions Trophy was launched in 1998 and initially held every two years but later moved to a four-year cycle in between World Cups — the pinnacle in cricket’s one-day format. The eight participating teams this time were based on rankings after the 2023 World Cup in India, with Pakistan qualifying automatically as host. India, New Zealand and Bangladesh are in Group A with host Pakistan. England, South Africa, Australia and Afghanistan are in Group B.
Pakistan was awarded the 2008 Champions Trophy, but due to security concerns the tournament was shifted to South Africa in 2009. India was due to host the Champions Trophy in 2021, but it was replaced with the T20 World Cup and was played in the UAE.
(With inputs from AP)
A view of newly renovated National Bank Stadium, where fans watch the tri-series ODI cricket final match between Pakistan and New Zealand, in Karachi, Pakistan, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo)
ICC Champions Trophy LIVE: Need for speed
With Lockie Ferguson missing the ICC Champions Trophy due to injury, there is a long list of pacers who will not be competing in the event. This includes India's Jasprit Bumrah and Australia's trio of regular skipper Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood.
Pakistan will consider themselves lucky to have Haris Rauf available for the full event after a recent injury scare.
ICC Champions Trophy LIVE: Weather update, predicted XI, squads and other details for PAK vs NZ
Ahead of the first game of the ICC Champions Trophy, we break down all the basic details about the match:
READ MORE
ICC Champions Trophy LIVE: Massive blow for New Zealand
New Zealand will be without Lockie Ferguson for the Champions Trophy after the pacer was ruled out of the tournament due to injury.
His absence will be a massive blow for New Zealand's ICC Champions Trophy 2025 hopes. Ferguson will miss the eight-team tournament due to an injury to his right foot. The right-armer will be replaced by Kyle Jamieson.
ICC Champions Trophy LIVE: Mark your calendars
The Champions Trophy kicks off at the National Stadium in Karachi on February 19, with Pakistan taking on New Zealand. India, who are the runners-up from 2017 and two-time winners, play their first game on February 20 against Bangladesh in Dubai. The India vs Pakistan game happens on Sunday February 23. Reigning Cricket World Cup winners Australia face England in their opening fixture on Saturday, February 22.
The two semi-finals will be played on March 4 and March 5 in Dubai and Lahore respectively. The Champions Trophy final is scheduled for March 9.
ICC Champions Trophy LIVE: Why has the venue for the Champions Trophy final not been announced yet?
The uncertainty about the venue of the Champions Trophy final exists because of Team India. The Indians have refused to travel to Pakistan for any cricket matches. So if they make it to the final, the game will be played in Dubai, where India are playing all their Group A games including the one against Pakistan. If India do not make it to the final, the game will be played in Pakistan which was supposed to be the solo host country until India's refusal to play in Pakistan forced the ICC to propose a hybrid model.
ICC Champions Trophy LIVE: India's schedule at the Champions Trophy
India find themselves in Group A at the Champions Trophy with Pakistan, Bangladesh and New Zealand.
Here's India's schedule for the event:
Feb 20: India vs Bangladesh
Feb 23: India vs Pakistan
March 2: India vs New Zealand
ICC Champions Trophy LIVE: Inzamam on the terror attack on Sri Lankan team in 2009
Cricketing nations avoided touring Pakistan after the 2009 terror attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team by terrorists. Pakistan had to play their home games at UAE.
"The events of 2009 feel like a bad dream," former Pakistan captain Inzamam Ul Haq said recently while talking about the terror attack on Sri Lanka. "We were punished for 10 years. Our cricket went backwards."
Here's what had happened: On March 3, 2009 while the Sri Lankan cricket team was making its way to the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore for the third day of a Test, the team bus was ambushed around 9 am (local time) by 12 gunmen. The terrorists were heavily armed, wielding assault rifles, grenades and rocket launchers.
READ MORE
ICC Champions Trophy LIVE: Former Pakistan stars on the tension of IND vs PAK
India will face Pakistan on Saturday in one of the biggest games on the calendar this year. The two teams will face off in UAE with India being the only country not travelling to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy due to security concerns and political reasons.
But the drama of a India vs Pakistan cricket match, even when played at a neutral venue, is unrivalled.
"A Pakistan-India match is not just a game of cricket, it's a game of expectations, of emotions," Misbah ul Haq was quoted as saying by Reuters.
Another former Pakistan captain Inzamam ul Haq recalled a 2004 ODI against India in Karachi where he scored a thrilling hundred in a losing chase. "I got a standing ovation but so did the Indian team for their performance. Supporters from both sides would have wanted to see this match."
Former Pakistan cricketer Aamir Sohail, meanwhile, will forever be remembered for one of the most famous on-field spats with Indian bowler Venkatesh Prasad in the 1996 World Cup quarter-finals, the last major event played in Pakistan. "It's not just important for both the countries, I think this rivalry is important for international cricket," he said.
ICC Champions Trophy LIVE: HOLA
We're just one day away from the ICC Champions Trophy which is being held after 2017!
Defending champions Pakistan are hosting the event, with India the only nation not travelling to Pakistan due to security concerns. India will be playing their matches in UAE, where they will also face Pakistan on Sunday.
Follow our liveblog as we build up to the first game on Wednesday.