Huge fund approved to upgrade venues before
ICC Champions Trophy
LAHORE: A massive fund of Rs12.80 billion was approved to
upgrade the Gaddafi Stadium, National Stadium and Pindi
Cricket Stadium, while the domestic game received a significant
increase of 110 per cent, as the Pakistan Cricket Board’s Board of
Governors (BoG) approved the 2024-25 budget at a meeting at
the National Cricket Academy on Saturday.
Chaired by PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi, the meeting was attended by all nine
BoG members alongside some PCB officials.
Interestingly, the details issued by the PCB to the media after the meeting
did not mention if the BoG discussed the poor performances of the national
men’s and women’s teams in recent competitions.
According to the PCB, the amount of the central contract of national
women’s team and domestic players had been increased.
As the central contract for the men’s team was locked last year for three
years, there was no increase in their contract payments. However, players
will be promoted and demoted on the basis of the evaluation of their
performance.The approval for purchasing a 5.8-kanal plot near the Gaddafi Stadium was
completed to build a hotel in the near future for the PCB to accommodate
international and domestic teams during their professional activities.
Earlier, the PCB had planned to buy an under-construction building
adjacent to the National Cricket Academy but now a plot has been
purchased to build the hotel which will be the Board’s own.
Moreover, the construction work at the main entrance of the Gaddafi
Stadium has already started. The entire main building was demolished
along with two enclosures — Imran Khan and Fazal Mahmood — to raise a
new structure with more seating capacity
The PCB is planning to complete the upgradation of the Gaddafi Stadium
before the ICC Champions Trophy which will be held in February-March
next year. The event will be staged at three venues — Lahore, Karachi and
Rawalpindi.
Last year, the budget for domestic cricket was around Rs1.80 billion, which
has now been increased to Rs4.50 billion.
According to the details, the PCB will look after 12 venues besides providing
funds for taking care of around 100 grounds and their officials across the
country.
The budget for women’s cricket also got a massive increase — from Rs70
million to Rs240 million.
Meanwhile, members of the BoG were briefed about the preparations being
made by the PCB for hosting the ICC Champions Trophy.
Mohsin told the members that the refurbishment and upgradation of the
three stadiums would be completed before the Champions Trophy. The
PCB chairman claimed that more facilities would be provided to spectators
at these venues so they could turn up in big numbers to witness the
matches of the prestigious eight-nation event.
Meanwhile, PCB secretary, chief operating officer Salman Naseer and chief
financial officer Javed Murtaza briefed the members of the BoG about
different main points of the budget.The members of the BoG, who attended the meeting included Zahid Akhtar
Zaman (Chief Secretary Punjab), Sajjad Ali Khokhar, Zafarullah, Tanvir
Ahmad, Tariq Sarwar, Dr Anwar Ahmad Khan, Mohammad Ismail Qureshi,
Miraj Mahmood and Usama Azhar.
Director domestic cricket Abdullah Khurram Niazi was also present at the
meeting