"It's not even 'R' of ready" - Aakash Chopra on 2025 Champions Trophy venues reportedly not being ready

Aakash Chopra has noted that the venues for the 2025 Champions Trophy are seemingly far from ready. He opined that the International Cricket Council (ICC) could move the entire tournament outside Pakistan if they are convinced that the preparations won't be completed in time.

The 2025 Champions Trophy is scheduled to start on February 19 with a clash between Pakistan and New Zealand in Karachi. While all India games will be played in Dubai, the rest of the matches are supposed to be played in Rawalpindi and Lahore apart from Karachi.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra', the former India opener highlighted that a video suggests that the stadium works at the Champions Trophy venues in Pakistan are far from complete.

"The Champions Trophy is supposed to happen and you were given ₹600 crore to upgrade your venues and invest in infrastructure development. So you start working and Pakistan did that as well. Then a video came out. It showed that it's not even 'R' of ready. The dressing room, the press box and the corporate box are not ready, and the floodlight job is not completed in some places," he said (1:30).

Chopra added that the ICC could stage the entire tournament outside Pakistan.

"As neither PCB nor any Pakistani outlet has refuted it and the ICC hasn't commented on it, we will assume it's true, and the truth is that one of the ICC deadlines to hand over the grounds has already crossed. If the ICC realistically feels you won't be able to get them ready, they have the right to take away the tournament from you completely," he elaborated.

Aakash Chopra opined that the tournament could be played in the UAE in such a scenario. He added that the Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah grounds are ready to host the matches.

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"They will somehow prepare the grounds" - Aakash Chopra expects Pakistan to make the Champions Trophy venues match-ready

The Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore hosted the 1996 ODI World Cup final. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra opined that Pakistan would somehow make the Champions Trophy venues match-ready.

"Since we are subcontinent residents, we know that we find a way out at the last minute, and I feel Pakistan will also do that. They will somehow prepare the grounds but when the teams reach there, you might have a leaking tap somewhere, a fan might not be working, or painting might not have been done properly somewhere," he said (3:20).

However, the cricketer-turned-commentator added that the spectator facilities are unlikely to be proper.

"Even if the player enclosures and the press box are made right, you can take it in writing that the spectators will have a hard time because the facilities for them won't be ready properly as they are prepared at the last and you are already behind time and the weather is not helping," Chopra observed.

To conclude, Aakash Chopra said there could be only two reasons for the preparations not being completed in time. He noted that it's either a lackadaisical approach or corruption.