Pakistan last hosted an ICC tournament in 1996, when it co-hosted the Cricket World Cup alongside India and Sri Lanka. The tournament marked a significant moment for Pakistani cricket, as the national team reached the quarterfinals, and it was the first time the World Cup was held in Pakistan.
Pakistan won the ICC Champions Trophy 2017.
The 2024 tournament, co-hosted by Pakistan and set to begin on February 19 in Karachi, will see India playing all their matches in Dubai. The competition will feature eight teams, split into two groups: Group A includes India, Bangladesh, New Zealand, and Pakistan, while Group B has England, Australia, South Africa, and Afghanistan.
This will be the first multi-nation tournament hosted by Pakistan since the 2008 Asia Cup, which saw Sri Lanka defeat India by 100 runs in the final. However, the 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore led to a nearly decade-long hiatus for international cricket in the country.
Things began to change in 2017 when Sri Lanka, followed by Zimbabwe, returned to Pakistan for matches at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Since then, major cricketing nations such as Australia, New Zealand, England, and South Africa have resumed tours to Pakistan.
When was the last time Pakistan hosted an ICC tournament?
The campaign was a letdown for the host nation, as they were eliminated in the quarter-finals by arch-rivals India in Bengaluru.
The final of the 1996 World Cup took place at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, where Sri Lanka triumphed over Australia by seven wickets to claim their first-ever World Cup title.
The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will be the first ICC tournament in Pakistan since that 1996 World Cup.