LAHORE – The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will not have an opening ceremony due to the delayed arrival of two participating teams while the pre-tournament press conference featuring all eight captains and the official photo-shoot in Karachi has also been canceled.
Indian captain Rohit Sharma will not be traveling to Karachi for the press conference.
The speculations from Indian media have been put to rest. Although the opening ceremony was never officially confirmed, previous reports suggested that preparations were underway.
According to ICC sources, England and Australia are set to arrive in Lahore on February 18 and 19, respectively, as per the schedules provided by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Cricket Australia.
Bangladesh and India will land in Dubai on February 15, while Afghanistan will arrive in Islamabad on February 12. New Zealand and South Africa will already be in Pakistan, having played a tri-series in Lahore and Karachi from February 8 to 14.
The Champions Trophy will kick off with Pakistan facing New Zealand in Karachi on February 19.
Sources indicate that England opted for a one-week break following their white-ball series in India, which concludes on February 12. Meanwhile, Australia will wrap up their two-Test and two-ODI series in Sri Lanka on February 14 before taking a four-day rest.
An ICC insider, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that while both the ICC and PCB were interested in hosting an opening ceremony, the logistical constraints caused by England and Australia’s arrival schedules made it impossible.
Managing players’ workload has become a crucial part of team strategy and well-being, but ultimately, it is the teams’ prerogative to decide their arrival dates, with the host country’s responsibility beginning only after the teams land.
Due to the late arrivals, both England and Australia have also opted out of warm-up matches. Although each team was entitled to two practice games, both sides agreed to enter the tournament without any warm-ups, as they would have recently completed their ODI series. This decision aligns with previous ICC events, such as the 2024 tournament in the USA and West Indies, where teams made similar choices.
The PCB clarified that discussions about an opening ceremony took place internally and with the ICC, but no details or schedule were officially announced.
“We never confirmed an opening ceremony because it was neither finalized nor officially approved by the ICC,” PCB sources explained, adding that there were ongoing discussions but some misunderstandings and speculations led to the perception that an event was planned.
The PCB is ready with the plans to celebrate hosting ICC Champions Trophy 2025, and made Pakistan’s first Champions Trophy in 29 years.
A special event is being planned before the Pakistan-New Zealand match on February 19.
The PCB emphasized that both Lahore and Karachi stadiums have been revamped, reflecting the extensive efforts put into making this tournament possible. Further details about the planned event will be shared later.
The PCB expressed interest in an opening ceremony but made it clear that such an event required the participation of all teams which is unfeasible given the current arrival schedules.
Pakistan will host at least 10 matches of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 while Dubai would host three including India’s games and the first semi-final.
“If India does not qualify for the March 9 final, the match will be played at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium. Otherwise, the final will take place in Dubai,”.
