 "Champions Trophy 2025: PCB's 1,800 crore Gaddafi Stadium revamp fails as roof leaks during rain (WATCH)")
synopsis
The Champions Trophy 2025 match between Australia and Afghanistan was called off due to wet outfield at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
The water leakage from the roof of the renovated Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore has raised serious concerns about the quality of 1,800 crore Pakistan rupees revamp. The Champions Trophy 2025 match between Australia and Afghanistan was interrupted by rain at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. The match did not resume and both sides shared a point each after the match was called off due to wet outfield.
After the match, the drainage facilities at the Gaddafi Stadium were questioned by the experts and former cricketers as the outfield was completely damped despite rain stopped. The ground was completely wet and groundsmen put in all their efforts and did all the hard work to dry the outfield, but their efforts went in vain as the lack of drainage system in place failed to remove the excess water, forcing the match to be abandoned. The umpire inspected the outfield before informing the captains about the unplayable conditions, leading to the official abandonment of the match.
The lack of adequate facilities at the Gaddafi Stadium came into limelight again after the water leaks from the roof of the stadium went viral on social media. In a video, an Afghanistan fan was showing the water leakage from the stadium and lambasted Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi over poor facilities at the Gaddafi Stadium.
“You see here, there’s water all around. The game was called off after just 12.5 overs. There are no proper facilities here, you must’ve already seen the washrooms, the roof is leaking. It doesn’t look like it’s the second or third game of the tournament here. It seems as if it's a 20-30 year-old stadium,” Afghanistan can be heard saying in the video.
Watch: Water leakage from Gaddafi Stadium roof
In the ongoing Champions Trophy 2025, four matches were washed out in Pakistan - two in Rawalpindi and one each in Lahore and Karachi. Two matches at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium - Australia vs South Africa and Pakistan vs Bangladesh were washed out without a toss due to rain. The Gaddafi Stadium hosted two matches, which were successful, with Australia defeating England and Afghanistan knocking out England from the Champions Trophy 2025.
Meanwhile, Pakistan were already knocked out of the Champions Trophy without a win. The Men in Green were already staring at an early exit from the tournament following two successive defeats against New Zealand and India. New Zealand’s victory against Bangladesh sealed Pakistan’s fate in the marquee event, where they were the hosts. Pakistan were hoping for a win before officially bowing out of the tournament. However, the rain played spoilsport and thus, Pakistan and Bangladesh shared a point.
Meanwhile, the second semifinal of the Champions Trophy 2025 at the Gaddafi Stadium. Australia will play the second semifinal against Group A table-toppers. India and New Zealand’s result in the ongoing Champions Trophy 2025 clash will decide their opponent.
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