Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium Adds Deep Anti-Invasion Moat Ahead of Champions Trophy

The dry moat at Gaddafi Stadium gets its finishing touches. Sohail Imran/Geo TV

Lahore ’s Gaddafi Stadium is “ready to host ICC Champions Trophy 2025,” the Pakistan Cricket Board ( PCB ) has announced, teasing a ’sis “ready to host ICC2025,” theCricket Board () has announced, teasing a glimpse of the newly-renovated facility. Currently undergoing its biggest makeover since the 1996 World Cup, the big-ticket venue has introduced many new changes, including a deep dry moat to prevent pitch invasion.

The trench, which is 10 feet wide and as deep, replaces the traditional steel cage that once separated the stands from the field. The boundary wall on either side of the moat has been fenced, with plans to add a net that will keep balls from ending up in the ditch and make it easy to fetch them.

When pictures of the Gaddafi Stadium moat first entered public domain, its purpose was unclear. Observers wondered whether the trench work was for drainage or to keep fans from trespassing onto the ground. It wasn’t until stadium officials explicitly detailed the enhanced security measures in a progress report that clarity prevailed.

Other upgrades include a brand-new pavilion building, modernised amenities, re-profiled enclosures, and an increased seating capacity. When Gaddafi first opened in 1959, it could hold around 40,000 spectators.

However, renovations for the 1996 World Cup, whose final was hosted by Lahore, reduced this capacity to 27,000. Now, as many as 35,000 fans are expected to be in attendance for a sell-out game at the revamped Gaddafi Stadium.

The facility will be inaugurated by Pakistan’s Prime Minister on February 7, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi said. The opening will mark the eve of the One-Day International (ODI) tri-series featuring Pakistan, South Africa and New Zealand.

The first two matches are scheduled to take place at Gaddafi Stadium on February 8 and 10. The third and final ODI will be hosted at the National Stadium in Karachi.

The trilateral tournament has been planned keeping in mind the ninth edition of the Champions Trophy, which returns after an eight-year hiatus.

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