The 2025 Champions Trophy is set to take place in Pakistan, but concerns over the stadium renovations in the country have dominated the headlines. With around two weeks remaining before the tournament starts, a report from Pakistan's Dawn stated that it may be "absolutely impossible" for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to complete renovations at key venues on time.
Amid all this, just before this major ICC event, Pakistan is set to host a high-stakes tri-nation ODI series featuring South Africa and New Zealand from February 8 to 14, 2025. The series, taking place in Karachi and Lahore, will serve as crucial preparation for all three teams ahead of the big tournament.?
The PCB has announced the fixtures for the upcoming ODI tri-series, which will be played in a single-league format.?The four matches at Gaddafi Stadium and National Bank Stadium will not only serve as a key competitive warm-up but also give the PCB an opportunity to showcase its revamped venues to a global audience ahead of the Champions Trophy.
While the Men in Green and BlackCaps will kick off their preparations under the lights at Gaddafi Stadium on February 6, the Proteas will have their first training session at the venue on the morning of February 9.?
The host will enter the series in strong form, having whitewashed South Africa 3-0 in an ODI series in December. Meanwhile, the Kiwis recently secured a 2-1 series win over Sri Lanka at home.?
The most recent developments around the tri-series is that Section 245 of the relevant Pakistani law has been enforced in Lahore. According to the circular issued by the provincial government "Army troops are being deployed in Lahore under Article 245," as quoted by The Nation Pakistan.?
Can Indian fans watch the tri-series??
Yes, Indian fans can watch the tri-series live on Sony Sports Network. The matches will be broadcast on the Sony Ten 5 TV channel and will also be available for streaming on JioTV.
Match schedule (IST):?
February 8, Saturday ¨C Pakistan vs New Zealand ¨C 2:30 PM IST ¨C Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore?
February 10, Monday ¨C New Zealand vs South Africa ¨C 10:00 AM IST ¨C Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore?
February 12, Wednesday ¨C Pakistan vs South Africa ¨C 2:30 PM IST ¨C National Stadium, Karachi?
February 14, Friday ¨C Final (Teams TBD) ¨C 2:30 PM IST ¨C National Stadium, Karachi?
Mohammad Rizwan (c), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha (vc), Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi.
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