Pakistan set to host first major cricket event in three decades

Workers clean pavilion seats on the eve of the International Cricket Council Champions Trophy match between Pakistan and New Zealand at National Stadium in Karachi on Feb. 18, 2025. Pakistan's Babar Azam attends a practice session at National Stadium in Karachi on Feb. 16, 2025, ahead of his team's Champions Trophy cricket match against New Zealand. A Pakistani police commando stands guard outside the National Stadium in Karachi on Feb. 17, 2025. The International Cricket Council Champions Trophy begins on Feb. 19. Workers install a screen at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium ahead of the International Cricket Council Champions Trophy matches in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, on Feb. 17, 2025.

Pakistan is ready to host the International Cricket Council Champions Trophy 2025 on Wednesday, with eight teams coming together for a major cricketing event in the country for the first time in three decades.