NEW DELHI: Pakistan will be the exclusive host of a major multi-national cricket tournament for the first time ever — the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy — slated for February-March next year.
Previously, Pakistan co-hosted the 1996 Cricket World Cup with India and Sri Lanka, and before that, they jointly hosted the Reliance Cup with India in 1987.
But since 1996, the country has gone through two major security concerns — the 9/11 attacks in early 2000s and terror attack on the visiting Sri Lankan team in 2009, and that has led to other countries hesitating in visiting Pakistan.
Due to political tensions between India and Pakistan, the Indian team too hasn’t visited Pakistan since 2008.
After the 2009 terror attacks, there was a time when there was no international cricket in Pakistan till 2015 but Zimbabwe became the first team to visit the country for ODI and T20I series.
Over the past ten years, Pakistan has hosted a combined total of 78 international cricket matches across formats.
These includes 13 Tests, 24 One Day Internationals (ODIs) matches and 41 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) taking place on its soil during the period.
Pakistan’s International Cricket Venues of the Last 10 Years
Pakistan’s journey to bring international cricket back to their shores has been a long and arduous one since the tragic incident in 2009.
However, the nation has made significant strides in recent years, with several countries agreeing to tour the country for Test and limited-overs series.
The four cities — Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi and Multan have been hosting the matches in Pakistan since 2009.
Zimbabwe was the first Full Member nation to break the ice, touring Pakistan in 2015, six years after the attack.
Although Afghanistan and Kenya had visited in 2013 and 2014, their tours were not granted international status.
Zimbabwe’s visit marked a crucial step in Pakistan’s efforts to revive international cricket in the country as the two nations played both ODI and T20I series. These matches were held in Lahore.
In 2017, eight years after the Lahore attack, Sri Lanka returned to Pakistan for a solitary T20I match, which was the final game of their three-match series. The previous matches, as well as the ODI leg, were played in the UAE. This match was held in Lahore as well.
The following year, West Indies became the third Test-playing nation to visit Pakistan in the decade, agreeing to a short T20I series.
Chris Gayle, Carlos Brathwaite and Jason Holder did not show up but the series went ahead as planned, further solidifying Pakistan’s progress in bringing cricket back home. This entire series was played in Karachi.
The first international Test since the 2009 attacks took place in Rawalpindi, with Pakistan and Sri Lanka facing off from December 11th, 2019. The match was a a draw.
Multan is the latest addition to the list of venues in Pakistan that has hosted an international cricket series in Pakistan after 2015.
Pakistan and West Indies competed in the ODI series, which took place in June 2022.
Previously, Pakistan co-hosted the 1996 Cricket World Cup with India and Sri Lanka, and before that, they jointly hosted the Reliance Cup with India in 1987.
But since 1996, the country has gone through two major security concerns — the 9/11 attacks in early 2000s and terror attack on the visiting Sri Lankan team in 2009, and that has led to other countries hesitating in visiting Pakistan.
Due to political tensions between India and Pakistan, the Indian team too hasn’t visited Pakistan since 2008.
After the 2009 terror attacks, there was a time when there was no international cricket in Pakistan till 2015 but Zimbabwe became the first team to visit the country for ODI and T20I series.
Over the past ten years, Pakistan has hosted a combined total of 78 international cricket matches across formats.
These includes 13 Tests, 24 One Day Internationals (ODIs) matches and 41 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) taking place on its soil during the period.
Pakistan’s International Cricket Venues of the Last 10 Years
Pakistan’s journey to bring international cricket back to their shores has been a long and arduous one since the tragic incident in 2009.
However, the nation has made significant strides in recent years, with several countries agreeing to tour the country for Test and limited-overs series.
The four cities — Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi and Multan have been hosting the matches in Pakistan since 2009.
Zimbabwe was the first Full Member nation to break the ice, touring Pakistan in 2015, six years after the attack.
Although Afghanistan and Kenya had visited in 2013 and 2014, their tours were not granted international status.
Zimbabwe’s visit marked a crucial step in Pakistan’s efforts to revive international cricket in the country as the two nations played both ODI and T20I series. These matches were held in Lahore.
In 2017, eight years after the Lahore attack, Sri Lanka returned to Pakistan for a solitary T20I match, which was the final game of their three-match series. The previous matches, as well as the ODI leg, were played in the UAE. This match was held in Lahore as well.
The following year, West Indies became the third Test-playing nation to visit Pakistan in the decade, agreeing to a short T20I series.
Chris Gayle, Carlos Brathwaite and Jason Holder did not show up but the series went ahead as planned, further solidifying Pakistan’s progress in bringing cricket back home. This entire series was played in Karachi.
The first international Test since the 2009 attacks took place in Rawalpindi, with Pakistan and Sri Lanka facing off from December 11th, 2019. The match was a a draw.
Multan is the latest addition to the list of venues in Pakistan that has hosted an international cricket series in Pakistan after 2015.
Pakistan and West Indies competed in the ODI series, which took place in June 2022.
