New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has sent a delegation to Pakistan to inspect security and other arrangements for a tri-nation series which is part of Pakistan’s home season. New Zealand will be playing against Pakistan along with South Africa ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
Delegates along with security expert REG Dickason and New Zealand players’ association representative Brad Rodden are in Karachi and Lahore to discuss security arrangements and other preparations for the event.
Around the same time, a high-powered delegation from the ICC has also arrived in Pakistan to inspect ongoing preparations and other arrangements for the eight-team Champions Trophy.
The ICC delegation also visited the National Stadium in Karachi before going to Lahore and Rawalpindi.
A PCB official said the visits were routine ahead of major events in Pakistan. It is reported that New Zealand and ICC delegations have inspected keenly the ongoing renovation and facelift process at the stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi on which the PCB is spending an among of 12 billion rupees to get them for the Champions Trophy.
PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi said on Friday that the board was ready to welcome and host all teams as construction work on the stadiums would be completed before giving deadlines.
He also said that state level security would be in place for all teams visiting Pakistan will supervise this personally as federal minister for interior.
Pakistan will host New Zealand and South Africa for an ODI tri-series just days before the Champions Trophy which is scheduled to play between February 19 to March 9.
However, with Pakistan accepting hybrid Model for the ICC Champions Trophy, Indian matches will be played in a neutral venue. The India-Pakistan match in the 2026 T20 World Cup will be played in Sri Lanka, rather than in India.
“This will apply to the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 (Pakistan), ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 (India) and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 (India and Sri Lanka),” the ICC said in a statement on Thursday.
