Cricket board to spend Rs1b to upgrade Pindi Stadium

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is planning to spend around Rs1 billion for the upgradation of Pindi Stadium during the next three years to make it worthy of hosting the international as well as Pakistan Super League matches.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Najam Sethi told ‘The News’ that the board wanted to give Pindi Stadium a real international look.

“The PCB plans to spend Rs1 billion on the uplift of the stadium to give it a real international look. However, before that we have to settle a few things in coordination with Rawalpindi administration. From next year onward our plan is to organise the PSL and international matches in Multan and Rawalpindi. That is the reason why we are planning to invest in these two stadiums.”

The PCB chairman on Monday held a meeting with Commissioner Rawalpindi Division Nadeem Aslam Chaudhary to discuss in detail the uplift work on the stadium. Others who attended the meeting included Deputy Commissioner Rawalpindi Talat Mehmood Gondal, Mayor Rawalpindi Sardar Muhammad Naseem, PCB COO Subhan Ahmed, advisor to PCB chairman Shakil Shaikh.

It was decided that a committee that would include Subhan, Shakil Shaikh and Rawalpindi administration officials would be formed to finalise the formalities regarding the uplift plan in and around the stadium.

“Since the venue would be used for international matches, efforts are on to give the stadium and surroundings a clean and attractive look. The PCB in coordination with local administration would make all-out efforts to cherish the plan,” Sethi said.

However, the general impression is that instead of putting in Rs1 billion on a stadium where increasing capacity would be a difficult proposition, it would be a wise decision to build a new stadium in Islamabad where keeping a tight security would be much easier than Rawalpindi.