New Delhi: Days ahead of the Champions Trophy, Pakistan’s cricket infrastructure and the PCB’s preparedness have come under intense scrutiny. It was set off by New Zealand’s Rachin Ravindra’s injury. The floodlights at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium allegedly led to his head being injured during the first ODI of the 2025 tri-series between Pakistan and New Zealand.
It has divided Pakistanis, with former cricketers questioning whether Pakistan could play good hosts in the upcoming tournament.
“If other such incidents occur, ICC will ban these lights,” Pakistani cricket commentator Hafiz Imran, said in a show Zor ka Jor on Samaa TV Tuesday.
Others, however, were quick to come to the defence of the Pakistan Cricket Board. One of the strongest rebuttals came from former Pakistan cricket captain Salman Butt. Speaking to the local media, Butt argued that Ravindra’s injury was a result of the cricketer’s misjudgment.
“These are some of the latest LED lights that have been installed, so these are fine. When New Zealand players hit sixes off deliveries bowled at close to 150 kph, were the lights not working then? A player who was standing 70 metres away failed to take the catch because of his misjudgement. He is a fine fielder, but perhaps his leg slipped, and he got hurt,” Butt said.
The incident occurred when Ravindra attempted to catch a slog-sweep shot from Pakistan’s Khushdil Shah off Michael Bracewell’s ball during the 38th over. The New Zealander allegedly lost track of the ball due to the floodlights at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium, and it struck him in the face, causing bleeding. He was escorted off the field by medical staff.
New Zealand Cricket Board confirmed that Ravindra “passed the initial head injury assessment”, but the injury sparked an outcry on social media.
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Divided opinions
With the ICC Champions Trophy just days away, the timing of this incident couldn’t be more critical. The tournament, which kicks off in Karachi on 19 February, will see these two teams—New Zealand and Pakistan—play the opening match.
The backlash, which largely focused on the quality of floodlights at the stadium, saw a divide among Pakistan’s cricketing community. While some criticised the PCB for poor infrastructure, others defended the board, calling the incident a freak accident. Many felt that the lack of preparedness could have disastrous consequences for future events.
The Gaddafi Stadium, which was only unveiled the day before the tri-series, was initially celebrated by Pakistani cricket fans, but the accident quickly cast a shadow over the excitement.
Many including former captain Rashid Latif criticised the LED lights.
“The glow is more in such lights. Hence, when the ball travels flat, you are often unable to see it,” Latif said on his show Caught Behind on YouTube.
Butt however stuck to his stance. He said Pakistan’s infrastructure is being unfairly criticised.
“Some people have previously claimed that Pakistan cannot host a major tournament like the Champions Trophy due to stadium issues, so I want to ask them: What do you have to say about what happened at Barabati Stadium? That’s an established venue. These things happen. Just because Rachin got hit in the face doesn’t mean the PCB is to blame,” he argued.
The second ODI between India and England was briefly halted on Sunday due to a floodlight failure at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack.
(Edited by Theres Sudeep)