The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has reported the renaming of two enclosures at the National Stadium in Karachi to respect previous cricket captains Shahid Afridi and Younis Khan.
The Quaid Enclosure will be renamed after Shahid Afridi, while the Majid Khan Enclosure will be renamed to pay tribute to Younis Khan.
Moreover, the PCB has chosen to rename the Zaheer Abbas enclosure to the Nazar Mohammad Nook. Previously, the enclosures were named after cricket legends Majid Khan and Zaheer Abbas. Every enclosure has a limit of 1,050. It may be added that the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is scheduled from February 19 to March 9, 2025, including the main eight ODI teams.
Group A is comprised of Pakistan, India, New Zealand, and Bangladesh, while South Africa, Australia, Afghanistan, and England are included in Group B.
Pakistan will face New Zealand in Karachi on February 19, while the Pak-India cricket contest is planned for Dubai on February 23. Pakistan will face England on February 22.
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“The new stadium layout also adjusts the Hanif Mohammad and Javed Miandad enclosures with the Far-End Building, following the traditional arrangement where VIP enclosures are arranged next to the players’ area. The enclosures adjacent to the older building will be renamed after Iqbal Qasim and Naseem-ul-Ghani,” explained Arshad Khan.
Moves up to the stadium’s lighting system are also approaching completion. Frames have been installed on three of the light towers, with the remaining towers expected to be done in two days or less. The installation of lights will follow.
Project Chief Bilal Chauhan informed the media that construction of the main building is almost finished. “The stands on the ground floor and the partitions on the top floor will be done soon. By January 28, the stands will be prepared for seat installation,” he said.
Chauhan also confirmed that the players’ dressing rooms on the first floor have been completed, with cleaning currently underway. He expressed confidence that all renovation work will be settled by January 31, guaranteeing the stadium is completely prepared to have both the Champions Trophy and a tri-country series.
When complete, the revamped National Stadium will offer a state-of-the-art experience for both players and fans, further raising the iconic venue’s stature in the world of cricket.