|
|
|
| May 15, 2005 | Sunday | Rabi-us-Sani 6, 1426 |
Regional Academy ground’s condition not up to mark
HYDERABAD, May 14: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Regional Academy ground in Hyderabad is serving all purposes except cricket. Although close to Rs 2 million has been spent under PCB’s infrastructure development programme yet the ground’s condition is not up to the mark. The outfield is uneven, heavy and dead with big grassless patches all over.
On paper it was handed over to the District Cricket Association (DCA), Hyderabad, on April 16, 2003. The officials of DCA were not ready to take over possession of the ground, yet it was handed over to them.
“Ground fully levelled and compact, having live Dhaka grass planted on the entire area without any gaps,” reads ground’s certificate of handing/taking over. But its condition belies certificate’s claim.
No one doubts sincerity of PCB in its endeavour in developing a ground but then neither PCB’s project supervisor nor PCB itself can be absolved of their responsibility for the pathetic condition of the ground.
The difference of quality of grass is visible at nearby Hyderabad Club and PCB’s Regional Academy ground which are located in the same vicinity. A visit to the ground and interviews with some cricketers revealed that tracks of the ground were not up to the mark as they lacked proper earthwork.
Stones are often exposed during bowling, causing difficulties to the players. The fence around the ground and main gate are in dilapidated condition and same is the case with the sight screen while there is no score-board.
The practice pitches have no grass yet the young cricketers keep practising there as the city has no playing facilities, especially for cricket.
The ground is yet to be connected with proper sewerage system. The machine installed there for controlling water-logging and salinity is not operational. It was a dumping ground of city’s garbage before it was selected for PCB Regional Academy.
“Due to existing conditions the performance of players is badly affected. Last year two days matches were decided in one day,” said Shakeel Qureshi, who has been recently elected president DCA Hyderabad. He said that ground needed at least two trucks of earth, auto-roller, score-board, water trolley as well as proper sewerage system.
He said that the ground needed to be levelled. He urged PCB Chairman Shaharyar M. Khan to take notice of the poor condition of the ground and send some of his officials to see things for themselves.
When contacted Yar Muhammad Solangi, who has been associated with the ground as project supervisor from day one refused to comment.
PCB’s Regional Development Officer, Abdul Hussain Shah claimed that around Rs. 2.5 million had been spent on the ground.
He said that primarily DCA was responsible for maintaining the ground that was handed over to it two years back.
He said that he had been trying to upgrade the ground while PCB had given him four employees who were being paid by the board. Both the PCB officials are not ready to accept their responsibility of not giving proper shape to the ground.
The matter obviously calls for a thorough inquiry by PCB as to what has gone wrong with the ground which failed to attain required standard of a cricket ground despite expenditure of a huge amount. The PCB chief must pay a visit to the ground to see for himself the pathetic condition of the ground.
|
|
|
|
