July 22, 2008	Tuesday	Rajab 18, 1429

HYDERABAD, July 21: Shafiq Ahmed, Senior General Manager of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), paid a surprise visit to a cricket ground recently in the wake of complaints by some umpires and players regarding the lack of facilities at the ground, proposed for development at the PCB expenses.

The ground, around 20 kilometres away from the city centre, lacks in basic requirements like dressing room, lavatories, scoring tables etc.

Located on the agricultural land of Regional Cricket Association (RCA) president, access to the ground is somewhat difficult and according to some cricketers once the vehicle of a cricket squad from Sanghar had overturned; as a result some of the players got unfit and since there was no nearby hospital the match had to be cancelled.

Abdul Hussain Shah, PCB’s Regional Development Manager, had organised several matches of the recently concluded senior inter-district tournament.

During one of the matches Shafiq made a surprise visit to the ground.

He was upset to see the quality of facilities that were offered to players and officials.

Shafiq didn’t even inform the regional development manager and called him over phone after reaching the ground.

“The location of the ground is good but it certainly needs to be upgraded in every way,” he told Dawn. He avoided making any comment over the quality of facilities available there.

Hussain said it was one of those grounds that were to be developed by the PCB under the board’s development programme under which Kohsar, Qasimabad and Afzal grounds would also be developed.