KARACHI: Before the roars of spectators engulf the National Bank Stadium, the echoes of pounding hammers, iron-grinding machines and blaring engines prevail at the iconic venue.

It is being renovated for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy. And given that the renovations started as late as October last year, the list of the planned upgrades is quite long.

It includes a new players’ and officials’ hospitality enclosure at the University End; a fully-fledged four-floor building. To improve broadcast coverage, 350 LED lights are to be installed on the towering light poles. Two digital screens on either sides of the ground are also promised along with the installation of 5,000 new chairs to enhance spectator comfort.

The new hospitality enclosure was in its finishing stages on Monday. But seeing only new frames set up on the light poles with the lamps yet to be installed makes you question if the PCB would hand over the stadium to the ICC as promised on January 31. The installation of the two giant screens had also only started, with foundations for its high columns being prepared.

It seems absolutely impossible to contemplate the renovation work being completed within the deadline, but the personnel handed the responsibility is beaming with confidence.

“Everything is under control and the stadium will be ready by the 31st,” the PCB’s director for the project Bilal Chauhan told Dawn.

Bilal, who had worked with PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi with different projects during the latter’s time as Punjab’s caretaker chief minister, was roped in by the Mohsin for the National Stadium task last year.

“When the chairman shared with us his ambition, our first reaction was that it was impossible to complete the task in the given time,” said Bilal. “But how he gave us full backing inspired belief that we could do it.”

Around 600 labourers are currently working under Bilal during the day time while nearly half of them work through the night. Bilal claimed that none of these workers have visited home since the renovation work started.

“It’s been the same with me,” the project manager hailing from Lahore said. “I reach here at eight in the morning and leave at two at the night. “As you can imagine I’ve no personal life.”

Bilal mentioned last-minute procedural issues that occur and delay tasks but also go on to show the range of challenges a project of this level could bring with it.

The panels to be installed on the new building were to be released from the Karachi Port only on Sunday night, with its installation scheduled for the next morning.

“These are the kind of things we are dealing with, but sometimes it’s sad to see people bashing us,” he complained.

While it is commendable that the major part of the “civil work”, as Bilal put it, has been completed, the work that remains is undeniably worrisome.

There is no going back now for the PCB and Mohsin.

The board would either be hero or zero for taking up such a mammoth task. For now, it can only be hoped that the National Bank Stadium would end up looking and functioning as “state of the art” as it is promised and gives fans and players alike a high-class experience of being part of the ICC Champions Trophy, which starts on February 19.

A league match of the tri-nation series — set to involve Pakistan, South Africa and New Zealand — on February 12 and its final two days later will act as the dress rehearsal for the Champions Trophy days ahead of the opener.

Published in Dawn, January 29th, 2025