Younis is expected to bring a wealth of knowledge to the Afghan team, offering valuable guidance during the Champions Trophy campaign

The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is 40 days away, but stadiums in Pakistan are far from ready. Construction is still ongoing at venues in Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi. The ICC is concerned about the venues meeting requirements on time.

Critical upgrades, including multi-story enclosures for dressing rooms and hospitality boxes, floodlight installations, seat arrangements, and fencing, are still incomplete

Pakistan last hosted a global tournament at home in 1996, when it co-hosted the ODI World Cup with India and Sri Lanka

The ECB is against forfeiting the game – if England do not play, Afghanistan get full points. Given how small the cricketing world is, the ICC can ill afford to hurt the game in Afghanistan. And then there is the all-important question of what India thinks.

Pakistan was originally scheduled to host the entire tournament in three cities – Lahore, Karachi and Rawapindi. However, the country might end up missing out entirely on hosting its first global event since the 1996 World Cup.

The opening ceremony of the Champions Trophy is scheduled for February 19 at the National Stadium Karachi, with the first match to be played on the same day between Pakistan and New Zealand. The stadium will host three matches of the tournament.

Ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, the Afghanistan cricket team has roped in Pakistan great Younis Khan as team mentor for the mega event. Previously, Ajay Jadeja in the ODI World Cup 2023 and Jonathan Trott in T20 World Cup 2024 helped Afghanistan do well in ICC events.

Hashmatullah Shahidi-led Afghanistan will have the services of former Pakistan captain Younis Khan as their mentor for ICC Champions Trophy 2025.