Hayatabad Ground may host PSL VI matches

ISLAMABAD: Hayatabad Cricket Ground is expected to host the Pakistan Super League (PSL) VI matches in 2021 as the provincial government has started increasing its capacity and upgrading players’ dressing rooms for the purpose.

Asfandyar Khattak, Director General Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sports Board, told ‘The News’ that the PCB has set the condition to increase the ground’s capacity to 10,000 and upgrade the players’ dressing rooms to international standard for the venue to host the PSL matches next year.

“We are ready to meet these conditions and have decided to complete the work within the next five months. We have already awarded the tender with the condition that all uplift work should be completed in time. I am optimistic that we will meet the PCB conditions well before five months,” he said.

Khattak said the cricket facility in Hayatabad was already the best around. “What we lack will be completed well in time for the PSL matches.”

Arbab Niaz Stadium was originally scheduled to host the Peshawar leg of the PSL VI matches but due to Covid-19 the construction work at the venue got off to a slow start. “It will not be possible to complete the upgradation work at the Arbab Niaz Stadium in time. Almost a year will be required to make the venue ready,” a source in the PCB said.

Recently PCB’s Director Domestic Cricket Nadeem Khan and head of international players’ development Saqlain Mushtaq visited the site and expressed their fear that the venue would not be ready in time.

“We suggested the PCB to hold the PSL matches at the Hayatabad Ground instead and they have accepted our proposal. The required work at the venue will start within the next 10 days,” Khattak said.