The Pakistan Cricket Board on Tuesday inaugurated the National Stadium, one of the three venues in the country to host the Champions Trophy, and took the opportunity to reward the 700 workers who toiled day and night to complete the project.
This stadium will be the venue for the opening match of the Champions Trophy between New Zealand and Pakistan on February 19.
The chairman of the PCB, Mohsin Naqvi, acknowledged the efforts of the workers, including laborers, technicians, engineers, and loaders, stating that this was only possible because of their determination to finish the upgrades on time.
The stadium will also host a match between South Africa and Pakistan on Wednesday, and the final will take place on February 14.
The revamped stadium houses a new state-of-the-art building at the far end of the historic venue. New LED lights are also installed at the stadium with other improvement measures that include two screens and improved spectator facilities.
The new building consists of dressing rooms, dedicated broadcast and match official areas, and hospitality boxes.
However, the stadium still retains its old looks, with the new big screen on the ground blocking the views of spectators in the enclosure.
Project manager Mohsin Chohan agreed that the new screen would need to be removed after the tournament to neighborly grounds.
The PCB had planned to spend approximately four billion rupees on the renovations, and it seems that they have gone over budget just for still having work to finish after the Champions Trophy.
