APP
PESHAWAR
Peshawarites would soon heard good news about holding of Pakistan Super League-6 edition matches, Director General Sports Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Asfandyar Khan Khattak said in a media briefing held at Hayatabad Sports Complex during the visit of a seven-member high-level delegation of Pakistan Cricket Board here on Tuesday.
The delegation headed by Director International Cricket in Pakistan Zakir Shah, General Manager Pakistan Cricket Board Junaid Zia, Col. Asif Mehmood, Director Security and Anti-Corruption, Senior General Manager Admn Logistic Asad Mustafa, Col. Ashfaq Ahmad, Senior General Manager Admin and HR, Shakeel Khan (Manager Media), Manager Marketing Mansoor Manj.
Soon after the arrival at Hayatabad Sports Complex, the delegation alongwith Director General Sports KP Asfandyar Khan Khattak, Regional Sports Officer and Qualified PCB Curator Mir Bashar Khan, Administrator Syed Jaffair Shah, Caretaker of the grounds, Olympian Nasrullah Khan, ground staff were also present.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) delegation visited the Hayatabad Sports Complex Cricket Stadium and discussed arrangements for a possible PSL match there and the provincial government’s project to convert the stadium into an International Cricket Stadium.
Director General Sports Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Asfandyar Khattak and Director PSL Mir Bashar Khan briefed the delegation about the upgrade of the Stadium and PSL match arrangements. The delegation was told that Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan, taking keen interest, recently approved a grant of Rs. 500 million for upgrading the Stadium well before the commencement of PSL-6 in February next year.
DG Sports Asfandyar Khan disclosed that PDWP meeting Chaired by Chief Minister KP Mahmood Khan approved PC-II of Rs 500 Million for Hayatabad Sports Complex Project for upgrading cricket ground on requirements of PCB for PSL matches.
The new construction work includes players’ lounge, dressing rooms, media boxes, hospitality boxes, camera stands, enhancing the ground spectators’ capacity from 2000 to 1000 more with seating facilities and establishing a Commercial Screen.
The delegation presented suggestions to the Directorate of Sports about the upgrade of the Stadium. DG Sports Asfandyar Khattak paid tribute to the PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani for taking interest in promoting cricket in the province, said that the Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan is very keen to convert Hayatabad Cricket Stadium into an international Cricket Stadium, and approved Rs. 500 million besides 400m more fund for Arbab Niaz Cricket Stadium. He said the project would cast a total Rs. 750 million and would be able to hold international matches.
He informed that the government is also given approval to have a bigger Cricketing Stadium of Pakistan to be constructed in Kamal Valley, which will have the facilities of cricket academy like National Cricket Academy style, swimming pool, and construction of multi-purpose gymnasium for indoor games, Tartan Track for Athletics and seven stars players’ hotel facilities inside one wall.
He said, the PCB is being consulted in this regard. The PCB delegation was informed about the progress of work made so far. The delegation has given suggestions, which will be communicated to the consultant NESPAK.
He said that the provincial government and the PCB were trying to make the Cricket Stadium of international standard in the province as soon as possible. For this purpose, the project of upgrading Arbab Niaz Cricket Stadium is underway. The project of Rs 1.35 billion. It will be a gift for the people to hold PSL and International matches in Peshawar, Asfandyar said. He said that efforts were being made to hold PSL matches in Peshawar and there would be good news soon in this regard.
About the chances of the matches, he said, all such steps have been taken with the aim to have PSL and other international matches of cricket in Peshawar while the national team would be able to utilize the facilities of Kalam valley during summer as a high altitude-training venue.
The delegation also, gym, cricket academy, wickets, warm-up ground and other places and made suggestions to Director General Sports Asfandyar Khan Khattak to bring the ground up to international standards.
Other issues including security at the ground were also discussed. Accompanied by the delegation, Asfandyar Khan said before this delegation Chairman PCB Ehsan Mani had visited Arbab Niaz Cricket Stadium in Peshawar, star-cricketers Saqlain Mushtaq also visited the cricket ground to develop it as world-class facility. He said that Chief Minister KP Mahmood Khan has provided full support and he is working day and night for the promotion of sports. He said, soon after completion of both the projects, it would help in bringing international cricket to Peshawar.
