July 18, 2007	Wednesday	Rajab 02, 1428

HYDERABAD, July 17: PCB Chairman Dr Nasim Ashraf has vowed to develop the Niaz Stadium as per international standards and restore its previous glory. He was speaking to journalists on the occasion of taking charge of the Niaz Stadium and during his visit to the Matiari district on Tuesday.

District Nazim Kanwar Naveed Jamil, PCB chief executive officer Shafqat Naghmi, RCA president Mir Haider Talpur, District Cricket Association president Raees Arain were present with the chairman.

Shafqat Naghmi and Hyderabad DCO Aftab Khatri signed the transfer documents on behalf of the PCB and the district government respectively. The district nazim handed over key of the ground to the PCB chief, who also attended A.O. Coaching Camp, being held at the Stadium.

He said that under PCB's infrastructure development programme, 90 pitches would be prepared at nine different centres and the work was started from the Niaz Stadium where six tracks were being laid.

The chairman however expressed it would be impossible to organise a World Cup fixture here in 2011 but promised to organise a match against India provided the ground would be ready. He dedicated two enclosures on the names of surgeon Mohammad Ali Shah and Kanwar Naveed Jamil and expressed hope that Hyderabad produce Test cricketers in future.

About sweeping powers for the chairman in PCB’s new constitution, Dr Ashraf said the powers were instead cut drastically. He added the PCB had sent the draft constitution to the government and it was up to it when it would finalise it.

“We want to introduce corporate governance in the PCB which will have a 15-member board with five representatives from regional cricket associations (RCAs), one from department and two Test cricketers to run its affairs,” he added while defining working of PCB’s set-up.

The chairman said the PCB's advisory council, comprising 11 representatives from the RCAs and eight from departments, was functional and its two meetings had been held.

He said there were certain demands of the RCAs for which a formula had been worked out regarding gate-money's payment. He denied that the PCB had planned to allocate Rs50 million to each RCA.

“Cricket needs to be developed at grass-roots level in collaboration with the RCAs and the departments,” he said.

Dr Ashraf announced establishment of a cricket training academy for Hyderabad region's 22 districts.

He said the PCB has planned to develop 100 grounds in three years with the help of district governments which have to provide land for the purpose.