PCB Ditches Multan, Eyes Upgrade Venues for Tri-Nation ODI Series with New Zealand and South Africa

In a shocking turn of events, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has shifted its focus from Multan to Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium and Karachi's National Stadium as the venues for the upcoming tri-nation ODI series, scheduled to start on February 8. The move comes after the board expressed confidence in the readiness of these upgraded venues.

In a statement released by the PCB, officials revealed that the decision was made due to the advanced stage of preparations at both stadiums, which are currently underway for the Champions Trophy 2025 event scheduled to take place next year. The Champions Trophy, a marquee international cricket tournament, will feature matches played in Pakistan and India-centric locations.

When a team qualifies for the final, according to the stated schedule, it automatically advances its final match location from one of these stadiums (in this case specifically the multi-venue format in Dubai vs. One venue in Lahore) rather than being decided by an away game.

The series, set to feature Pakistan alongside New Zealand and South Africa, was originally planned for Multan but has now been relocated to reflect the PCB's optimism about the new venues' preparation status.