Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman, Ramiz Raja, expressed his delight at Pakistan getting the hosting rights for the ICC Champions Trophy in 2025. Ramiz said that hosting such a prestigious tournament is a matter of great pride and it will help develop the game even further in the country.
This will be the first time in almost thirty years that Pakistan will host a major ICC event. The last time Pakistan hosted an ICC event was back in 1996 when the country hosted the ICC Cricket World Cup alongside India and Sri Lanka.
Ramiz took to Twitter to express his delight at the news.
It’s a matter of great pride and delight that Pakistan will be hosting ICC Champions Trophy 2025. This great news will surely excite millions of Pakistani fans, expats and world fans to see great teams and players in action and will allow the world to sample our hospitality.
— Ramiz Raja (@iramizraja) November 16, 2021
The 50-year old said that it will present a great opportunity for Pakistan to show the world that they have the required tools to host international cricket matches and will also enable the people of Pakistan to show the world how hospitable they are. Ramiz said that the news has excited millions of Pakistani cricket fans and they welcome the cricketing world with open arms.
The former opener thanked the International Cricket Council for taking a leap of faith and awarding Pakistan the hosting rights for a major ICC event. He said that while the PCB is delighted at the news, he feels especially happy for the fans who have been deprived of international cricket in their own backyard.
Ramiz gave a short interview to ICC where he expressed his emotions after Pakistan was awarded the hosting rights. Watch the video of the interview below:
"Its a massive boon… I'm just so happy for the fans especially"
PCB chairman Ramiz Raja reacts after it was announced that the ICC Champions Trophy will be hosted in Pakistan in 2025 🇵🇰
(📹: @ICC) pic.twitter.com/hUcuuxLe0g
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) November 16, 2021