No opening ceremony for Champions Trophy 2025
Pre-tournament events, including captains' conference and photoshoot are also cancelled
According to senior sports Journalist Abdul Majid Bhatti on Geo News, The upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will commence without an opening ceremony due to the delayed arrival of two participating teams.
As a result, traditional pre-tournament events, including the press conference featuring all eight captains and the official photoshoot in Karachi, have also been cancelled.
Indian captain Rohit Sharma will not be travelling to Karachi for the captains’ conference, dispelling earlier speculations from Indian media.
While the opening ceremony was never officially confirmed, reports previously suggested that preparations were underway.
According to sources within the International Cricket Council (ICC), the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Cricket Australia (CA) have submitted their arrival schedules.
England is set to arrive in Lahore on February 18, while Australia will land on February 19.
Bangladesh and India are scheduled to arrive in Dubai on February 15, whereas Afghanistan will reach Islamabad on February 12.
Meanwhile, New Zealand and South Africa will already be in Pakistan following a tri-nation ODI series in Lahore and Karachi from February 8 to 14.
Sources reveal that England has opted for a one-week break after their extensive India tour, which concludes with a white-ball series on February 12.
Similarly, Australia, following their Sri Lanka tour ending on February 14, has decided on a four-day rest period before arriving in Pakistan.
Due to their late arrival, both England and Australia have decided to skip their allotted warm-up matches.
Each team was entitled to two practice games, but both have chosen to directly enter the tournament, following similar decisions made by teams in past ICC events, including the 2024 T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies.
An ICC official, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that while both the ICC and PCB had shown interest in hosting an opening ceremony, the schedules of England and Australia, along with player workload management, made it unfeasible.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) clarified that while an opening ceremony was discussed internally and with the ICC, no official confirmation or announcement was ever made.
Despite the cancellation of the opening event, the PCB remains committed to celebrating Pakistan’s hosting of this prestigious tournament. Plans are underway for a special event before the Pakistan vs. New Zealand match on February 19 in Karachi.
The PCB aims to showcase the enthusiasm of the Pakistani people as the country hosts the ICC Champions Trophy for the first time in 29 years.
Both Karachi and Lahore stadiums have undergone extensive renovations to meet international standards, reflecting the hard work invested in hosting the event.
The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will feature eight teams competing across 15 matches from February 19 to March 9, held across Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi and Dubai. The teams are divided into two groups:
Group A: Pakistan, India, New Zealand, Bangladesh
Group B: Afghanistan, South Africa, England, Australia
Hosts Pakistan will kick off the tournament against New Zealand on February 19 in Karachi. The highly anticipated clash between arch-rivals Pakistan and India is scheduled for February 23 in Dubai.
