Was the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 hosting a success in Pakistan?

[Major]

Irrespect of the India matches being played in UAE, do you think the hosting was a success in Pakistan?

The only hiccup i saw was the rain match, where they couldnt dry the ground, however for a country that was hosting after 2 decades, I think we did a pretty good job.

Security wise we had no issues, but there were reports that suicide bombers were apprehended in Rawalpindi, which no one knows if it was true or not.

How did you view the hosting of the event by Pakistan?

 

[shamaan]

I thought that fans came on to the pitch whilst the game was happening.

 

[sweep_shot]

Despite all the attempted sabotages from BCCI/GOI, I say it was a success. It could've been a bigger success had rain stayed away.

Only negative thing was the drainage system. That needs to improve I guess.

 

[Major]

I thought that fans came on to the pitch whilst the game was happening.

to be fair those fans that do run onto the ground are vetted through 10 checkposts, so nothing really dangerous really. But there is nothing more can be done. One guy cross a fence and another crossed the trench

 

[Major]

Despite all the attempted sabotages from BCCI/GOI, I say it was a success. It could've been a bigger success had rain stayed away.

Only negative thing was the drainage system. That needs to improve I guess.

The pindi rain came unexpected. Pindi didnt get rain all winter and that week we got rain for 3 days. It had to be that week interestingly.

 

[sweep_shot]

The pindi rain came unexpected. Pindi didnt get rain all winter and that week we got rain for 3 days. It had to be that week interestingly.

Yeah. I was surprised too because games rarely get rained out in Pakistan.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

It wasn't a complete success because the low crowds let us down.

However in terms of safely hosting a multi team tournament it was a success.

Bitter people will always find a reason to moan. I remember after the Qatar world cup one US journalists moaned about a woman only security queue even though it meant she was fast tracked and searched by a female guard!

Similarly bitter people ( Indians) will find some flaws here.

From the PCB perspective they need to urgently investigate why crowds aren't drawn to cricket matches. If people aren't bothering coming is it really necessary to have so much hoopla for playing at home?

 

[charlie007]

Given you went into it knowing what you were getting into, it was a success. So all the whining is just fans cribbing about life’s injustices, but PCB got what it was expecting: hosting an ICC tournament safely, showing Pakistani hospitality, and creating a world event at home for the Pakistani public.
India not traveling was obviously not ideal, but you knew that already. It’s a success in my opinion. Well done!

 

[moghul]

Huge failure , first of all team's performance was the most embarrassing we have seen for a long time . All money and resources were spent on the upgrading of two stadiums and just one day of rain exposed all the corruption committed and poor state of stadium building . Very poor drainage system at Ghaddafi stadium which cost Afghanistan team a possible SF berth.

 

[shamaan]

to be fair those fans that do run onto the ground are vetted through 10 checkposts, so nothing really dangerous really. But there is nothing more can be done. One guy cross a fence and another crossed the trench

I would still consider it a security risk.

 

[topspin]

It didn't feel like Pakistan were hosts. The reason I say this is because look where the final is going to be played and also Pakistan didn't even get to play all their games at home. Makes a mockery of the sport.

 

[Major]

One thing i liked was the trophy unvieling ceremony. The way they used the Lahore fort for a modern day event was fabulous. I think they really topped that and not even India has come close in pulling off such an opener.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Dubai matches vs Pakistan matches which one was more successful from viewership/crowd perspective. ANy data on that?

 

[praveen]

Tournament was organized without hiccups so that’s a success. The games and atmosphere were uneventful which were largely down to the ODI format and Pakistan’s awful selection and weird strategy.

 

[Slim]

It was a success. Packed stadiums in Lahore for even neutral matches such as the England vs Australia or the Afghanistan vs England one. The one match that happened in Karachi also got packed eventually.
No security hiccups, no food or stadium issues as such. Rain is natural so it cannot be helped.


As compared to that Dubai, bangladesh vs india was almost empty, even Pakistan vs India match wasnt packed. Medicore leg for sure but thats not on PCB but ICC.

 

[Slim]

I would still consider it a security risk.

This happened during a worldcup final btw..

 

[mominsaigol]

Not a success by any means. Washed out games in pakistan + India ruining everything as usual.

Winning CT is one thing but taking it away from your own home is downright criminal.

But they were never going to come anyway.

 

[shokz1408]

Absolutely, brought the game back to Pakistan without any hiccups. More teams would be okay with touring Pakistan now I’m sure.

 

[kingusama92]

Moderate success.

They got to host an ICC tournament after 1996 and it went off without any issues. This is good.

The rain was annoying including how it was handled but if we're being honest those matches were getting rained out regardless of how good the drainage system was. It was a torrential downpour.

The crowds were fine and some of the games were packed. That Australia-England game was excellent and a lot of fun to watch. T20s would have been full right away, but ODIs meant the fans would trickle in slowly and usually in the evening.

In the end, this is a decent outcome as a host since it will give confidence to teams in the future. I think they have positioned themselves fine as a potential co-host for events in the future. I wouldn't have them as a lone host unless the India situation is figured out.

 

[Hitman]

If only rain didn't play spoilsport, it would have been near perfect. But nothing anyone can do about rain.

 

[Kriketer]

It was a pretty good tournament from Pakistan's pov. Pakistani team garbage performance did ruin the fun (was expected since both inform Saim and Fakhar were out) but it was nice to see packed stadium in a few neutral games, and it was held successfully without any trouble and seeing clips of other teams and their fans enjoying hospitality was nice to see. Should encourage teams to travel more with confidence to Pakistan so that is a big plus. Pakistan needs to hold a T20 WC which I am sure will be a much bigger success

 

[chakdeindian]

Champions trophy in Pakistan can be best explained as "operation success but patient died "

 

[chakdeindian]

If only rain didn't play spoilsport, it would have been near perfect. But nothing anyone can do about rain.

If there would have been good drainage system 2 shortened matches would have happened fully..it wasn't that heavy rain

 

[jnaveen1980]

For me it is one long whinefest. Nobody bothered to enjoy the game. Everyone was whinging 24/7 about India's schedule. NZ is one team that didn't bother about all this. No surprise they are in the final. South Africa is whining about ravel. NZ also travelled that too after a match. I didn't care much for India's matches as i want oldies to retire. But looking at the threads i can clearly see not many pak fans enjoyed this CT. They talk more about India's schedule than the actual matches

To top it all 90% of the matches were one-sided. Only two half decent matches. Afghanistan vs England, Australia vs England. Even in this short tournament couple of dead rubbers.. Two wash out.

 

[BouncerGuy]

Apart from rain spoiling the games, it was a great event overall. No real security concerns for teams in and out of stadiums. No controversy. It went well.

 

[BouncerGuy]

ICC's Safety and Security Manager Dave Musker expressed his thoughts before the second semi-final played at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium:

“I just want to thank the Pakistani police, the Rangers, and the Army—they have been absolutely superb. Prior to the tournament, there were some concerns about the visiting teams coming to Pakistan, but I personally had no doubts. The professionalism of the people we have been involved with was exceptional. The cooperation and respect that I have been shown have been amazing. Today's semi-final was broadcast internationally, showcasing a positive image of Pakistan, its people, and its law enforcement. It has been a brilliant tournament so far.”

 

[JattMaula]

Apart from Rain and majority matches being one sided, it was alright. Pakistani people got to attend some cricket. That's a big positive.

 

[hoshiarpurexpress]

One of the worst places to play cricket, let alone an ICC tournament. Hopefully ICC comes to its senses and does not give any tournament to Pakistan in the future. Spare us the torture.

 

[Cover Drive Six]

How can one call it a success? when the final is not happening in the host nation + the crowd turnout is poor + matches are being washed out by rain, and on top of that, the host team was eliminated just a few days after the tournament started.

 

[BouncerGuy]

Geopolitics and lack of buzz blight Champions Trophy's return

Geopolitical reality, lack of buzz in host nation Pakistan and mediocre cricket in general meant Champions Trophy's much-anticipated return to the calendar did not go according to plan for the governing International Cricket Council (ICC).

The one-day international (ODI) tournament served as an ICC fundraiser but offered no assurance about the future of a format battling for relevance in a cricket landscape ruled by Twenty20 leagues either.

Financial engine India's participation, a key factor behind the commercial success of any cricket tournament, was in doubt after Pakistan bagged the hosting rights for the first ICC event in the country since 1996.

The Indian board (BCCI) stuck to their policy of not touring Pakistan because of the strained political ties between the bitter neighbours, who play each other only in ICC events.

Like for the 2023 Asia Cup in Pakistan, a 'hybrid model' was agreed on under which India were allowed to play their matches in Dubai to salvage a tournament, which had been discontinued after the 2017 edition.

Under the agreement running until 2027, Pakistan will play in a neutral venue for any ICC event, like next year's Twenty20 World Cup, scheduled in India.

Reigning T20 world champions India beat New Zealand in Sunday's final to prove their credentials as a white-ball behemoth.

India have lost just one match - the final of the ODI World Cup in 2023 - in their last three ICC events and probably did not require what many called an "unfair advantage" of playing all their matches in Dubai.

"I feel sorry for India's cricketers," award-winning cricket writer Nicholas Brookes told Reuters.

"They are an outstanding team – in my mind, streets ahead of their competition regardless of conditions, and one of the greatest white-ball sides the game has seen.

"This tournament should have been their victory lap, but their brilliance has been somewhat overshadowed by constant questions about unfair advantages."

Allowing India to play all their matches in Dubai robbed Pakistan of the honour of hosting the final and disrupted the schedule of the knockout matches.

South Africa were made to take a farcical 18-hour trip to Dubai in anticipation of a semi-final against India before flying back to Pakistan to face New Zealand.

"BENDING OVER BACKWARDS"

The whole affair made the ICC, currently headed by former BCCI secretary Jay Shah, look weak in front of the world's richest cricket board.

The scheduling also favoured India, who had a week's rest between their last two group matches, while Afghanistan played twice in three days.

"That looks like the ICC putting finances ahead of fairness," said Brookes, whose "An Island's Eleven" charts the history of Sri Lankan cricket and won the Wisden Book Of The Year award in 2023.

"Some people will naturally think that the governing body is bending over backwards to accommodate India."

Defending champions Pakistan looked under-prepared for the tournament, both on and off the field.

Eleventh-hour facelift to stadiums in Karachi and Lahore, sparse crowd and three washouts dampened the spirit among the locals.

Adding to their woes, Mohammed Rizwan and his men finished bottom of Group A after a winless campaign that included a defeat by arch-rivals India.

An injury-ravaged Australia fielded a second string pace attack with Steve Smith, who quit ODIs after their semi-final exit, leading them in the absence of regular skipper Pat Cummins.

New Zealand all-rounder Rachin Ravindra bagged the player-of-the-tournament prize, while fellow Black Cap Glenn Phillips redefined fielding with gravity-defying catches and India's Virat Kohli proved he is not a spent force yet but the cricket was largely mediocre.

Afghanistan could not make the last four but impressed on their Champions Trophy debut while former champions England are searching for a new captain after their winless campaign prompted Jos Buttler to step down.

REUTERS

 

[Hitman]

The International Cricket Council has issued a note of thanks to the Pakistan Cricket Board for successfully hosting the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025.

The eight-team tournament, which concluded on Sunday (9 March) saw India clinch the title for the third time.

The 15 matches in the tournament were played across three cities in Pakistan – Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi – with India playing all of their games in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

The event, which kickstarted on February 19, saw Pakistan hosting an ICC tournament for the first time since 1996.

“We would like to thank and congratulate the Pakistan Cricket Board for successfully hosting the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025,” ICC Chief Executive, Geoff Allardice said.

“As this was the first global multi-team cricket event played in the country since 1996, this event was of huge significance for the PCB, and all those involved in renovating the stadiums, preparing the playing surfaces, delivering the matches and hosting the teams and visitors should be very proud of their efforts."

“The ICC would also like to thank the Emirates Cricket Board for staging five of the matches in Dubai and continuing to provide great support to the ICC in staging its major men’s and women’s events.”
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Link: https://www.icc-cricket.com/tournam...ul-hosting-of-icc-men-s-champions-trophy-2025​

 

[RyanRyan10]

Naqvi deserves an applause for the succes of CT. Haven't seen a guy more dedicated to his nation than him.

 

[BouncerGuy]

ICC Champions Trophy 2025 becomes highest rated multi-nation cricket tournament ever in India after blockbuster final

The ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 has broken major viewership records in India as its TV ratings surged to the highest ever for a multi-nation cricket tournament, eclipsing the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 by a whopping 23 per cent.

The live broadcast of the event received an astounding total watch time of 137 billion minutes on Star Sports and 110 billion minutes on JioHotstar. The enormous numbers were a result of a blockbuster final between India and New Zealand in Dubai on 9 March that touched a peak concurrency of 122 million live viewers on TV and 61 million on JioHotstar, a record for Digital viewership in cricket.

The final also became the second-highest rated ODI in TV history (outside of ICC Cricket World Cup matches) with 230 million viewers tuning in for the live broadcast with 53 billion minutes of watch-time across TV & Digital platforms.

ICC Chair, Jay Shah: “The Champions Trophy made an amazing return after eight years and the viewership numbers from India have been overwhelming, in particular the final between India and New Zealand.

“The incredible viewership numbers highlight the mass appeal that cricket has in India and how taking ICC events to audiences in different languages can significantly boost fan engagement. The success of the Champions Trophy marketing strategy is evident, creating excitement in existing and new fanbases, complimented by highly exciting cricket throughout the event.”

CEO Sports, Jio Star, Sanjog Gupta: “This accomplishment is a result of the combined strength of the widest, most deeply penetrated multi-platform destination for sports, the fan-focussed story-telling approach of the JioStar ‘mega-casts’ and our superior technological capabilities.

“The interest in the tournament was fuelled by a one-of-a-kind cohort-based marketing effort which built diverse apertures for the tournament in order to recruit at scale, differentiated audience segments with distinct persuasions across devices. India’s unbeaten, title-winning campaign, further fuelled the passion of the fans and drove the spike in viewership for the Final.”

The high-profile league encounter between archrivals India and Pakistan became one of the most watched ODI matches ever in India, clocking over 26 billion minutes of watch-time on linear TV as per figures released by the Broadcast Audience Research Council.

The chartbuster achieved an impressive 10.8 % higher television rating than the India-Pakistan match in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 played in Ahmedabad that had registered 19.5 billion linear viewing minutes compared to 26.5 billion minutes in the Champions Trophy match.

The match, played to a packed house in Dubai on 23 February, was witnessed by a record 206 million people on linear TV as India continued their dominance over Pakistan in global ICC events with superstar Virat Kohli carving a memorable six-wicket win for the eventual champions.

The remarkable viewership numbers are largely because rights holders JioStar had ensured wide coverage with channels taking the action live to homes across the country in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada on Star Sports and Sports 18 channels.

On digital channels, the tournament was streamed live across a record 16 feeds including nine languages - English, Hindi, Marathi, Haryanvi, Bengali, Bhojpuri, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada, four multi-cam feeds, Indian Sign Language feed and the Max View feed on JioHotstar.

Fans and viewers were deeply engaged with high-stakes tournament through captivating programming in the lead-up and through the tournament.