The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is set to introduce new floodlights at the stadiums in Karachi and Lahore in preparation for the Champions Trophy, scheduled for early next year. This move is part of a larger effort to enhance the infrastructure of domestic cricket venues across Pakistan. The PCB plans to equip smaller venues, such as Quetta, Abbottabad, and Peshawar, with light towers, enabling domestic matches to be played under lights, especially during hot weather conditions.
To manage costs effectively, the PCB will relocate the existing floodlights from Karachi to Quetta and from Lahore to Rawalpindi. Karachi and Lahore will receive brand-new light towers, and the PCB has commenced the process of inviting tenders from qualified companies to provide these on a rental basis, covering the period from August 2024 to July 2025. A source from the PCB, quoted by PTI, emphasized the importance of this project, stating, “The idea behind this process is to ensure smaller venues are also equipped with light towers for domestic cricket, while major venues like Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi, where most of the international games and CT matches would be played, get towers that meet international standards and guarantee uninterrupted lighting during matches.”
Furthermore, tenders have been invited for the supply of generators to various cities, including Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Multan, Faisalabad, Abbottabad, Quetta, and Peshawar. The PCB relies on generators to power the light towers due to frequent power fluctuations and load-shedding issues.
The PCB is also undertaking extensive renovations and facelifts of its stadiums in Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi. As a result, the second Test match against Bangladesh in Karachi will be played without spectators. The PCB has allocated funds in its fiscal budget to cover all costs associated with these stadium upgrades and facelifts.
