Fans were waiting with bated breath to witness an epic contest between South Africa vs Australia at the Rawalpindi Stadium. This was supposed to be the best contest of the match in Group B- Group of Death. Although the stadium was not packed, neutral fans of say, 7000 people had come to see this much-anticipated clash between South Africa and Australia. However, the fans had to return disappointed home as the game was abandoned without a ball being bowled.
An ICC event had come to Pakistan's shores after 29 years, and the cricket fanatic country were eager to see the top eight teams in action. The rain Gods had other ideas, and persistent rain meant the Rawalpindi fans wait continued to watch top teams battle apart from Pakistan. Not only this match, but the Pakistan vs Bangladesh, which was supposed to get underway today is also a complete washout. Viewers, experts, and fans are questioning ICC and PCB - Why Rawalpindi was chosen as one of the venues to host ICC Champions Trophy games.
Why Rawalpindi got the nod to host CT 2025 games
For the unversed, the ICC only approves venues that have hosted international matches for a significant period of time. Rawalpindi first hosted an international match in 1992 when Sri Lanka faced Pakistan. Since then, the stadium has hosted 26 ODIs. It is one of the most iconic grounds and has a seating capacity of 20000. Besides, Rawalpindi, Lahore, and Karachi are the other venues where CT matches were supposed to be played. To prepare for the event, the PCB has allocated Rs12.80 billion for upgrading these three stadiums. PCB did not include other venues to host CT games because the broadcasting from so many venues was only likely to increase the cost.Â
PCB also refurbished the stadium just ahead of the ICC event, along with other two venues Lahore and Karachi. Apart from these three stadiums, ICC also had a chance to allot CT venues to 14 other venues in Pakistan like Peshawar, Faisalabad, and Islamabad. However, some ongoing political issues were going on at these venues, so Rawalpindi got the nod ahead of other venues.
Also, ever since cricket returned to Pakistan in 2019, Rawalpindi has managed to successfully host Test, ODI, and T20I matches. Visiting teams like South Africa, Australia, Sri Lanka, and England have played in the Pindi ground and have approved of security arrangements.
Also Read: ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Group B Qualification Scenarios After England's Exit
Was rain expected to play spoilsport in Rawalpindi?
For the uninitiated, Rawalpindi was allocated to host three games - SA vs AUS, PAK vs BAN, and BAN vs NZ. Out of these three games, only one match was not marred by rain the BAN vs NZ one. According to AccuWeather, rain was marginally predicted in Lahore during February last week. However, no washout was on the cards. Fortunately, the other two venues for CT - Lahore and Karachi have so far been clear of the rain threat.
Luckily, the CT semi-final and final are not allocated to Rawalpindi, and fans need not worry about rain playing spoilsport in the semis and final of CT.
