Champions Trophy 2025: Pakistan deploys over 12,000 officers for security
What's the story
Pakistan is gearing up for the 2025 Champions Trophy, with the Punjab police putting in place elaborate security arrangements. According to Geo News, as many as 12,664 officers have been deployed to maintain safety during the tournament. Most of these officers, 7,618 to be precise, will be deployed in Lahore while Rawalpindi will be under the watch of 4,535 more police personnel.
Additional support
Special Branch to enhance security operations
The remaining 411 officers of the Special Branch will be assigned to improve operations. To bolster surveillance, aerial monitoring will be carried out with the help of Pakistan Army and Rangers. The routes leading to the venues would be under constant watch of Safe City cameras, ensuring real-time surveillance to avert any untoward incident.
Venue decision
ICC announces neutral venue for India's matches
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed that India's matches in the upcoming Champions Trophy will take place in the UAE, rather than Pakistan. The decision comes after a stalemate over the tournament schedule, which will be held from February 19 to March 9. In return for this arrangement, Pakistan has agreed to not visit India for any ICC tournament until 2028.
Model adoption
Hybrid model adopted under new ICC chair
The decision to go with a hybrid model for venue selection was taken under Jay Shah's leadership. The former BCCI Secretary recently took over as ICC chair. The hybrid model will be used not just for the next Champions Trophy but also for future tournaments like Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 and Men's T20 World Cup 2026.