LAHORE: As the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) expects revival of international cricket in 2015 it has to launch a programme on war-footing to bring lot of improvement in its stadiums, especially the Gaddafi Stadium.

International cricket has been suspended in Pakistan since attack on the visiting Sri Lanka team in 2009. Before that, foreign teams were shied to visit Pakistan due to security situation in the wake of 9/11.

Though the PCB invites foreign teams regularly, it hardly receives a positive response, besides it has failed to renovate its stadiums under any comprehensive plan.

PCB chairman Shaharyar M Khan recently disclosed that Zimbabwe and Kenya were willing to visit Pakistan this year but he had advised them to wait for some time.

It is clear that the PCB has yet to complete its homework before inviting foreign teams. The Board is not in perfect condition to host any team after the Sri Lankan team was attacked.

Though the PCB chairman claims that security situation in Pakistan is improving, it is a known fact that almost all stadiums in the country need renovation to organise international cricket.

Last week, three-hour rain in Lahore had washed out a first-class match at the Gaddafi Stadium between Lahore and Port Qasim for almost two days, exposing the capacity of the country’s big international cricket venue. Surprisingly, all happened under the nose of PCB high-ups but hardly any step was taken to improve the drainage system.

Moreover, a big enclosure in front of main pavilions at the Gaddafi Stadium is lying incomplete since 2007. It gives a pathetic look and also exposes poor management of the PCB.

In contrary to that, the PCB has successfully rented out all outside area of the stadium to different businessmen, especially those who run food restaurants to earn money. Even the green belt area has also been occupied by those businessmen.

Rawalpindi Stadium is also an international venue, where, according to a report, supply of power is suspended for nonpayment of power bill worth millions.

Pakistan has already lost Hyderabad as an international venue because it lacks facilities. The PCB also started a plan to build a new stadium in Islamabad in Ijaz Butt’s tenure. Though his predecessor Zaka Ashraf also continued the plan and got a piece of land from the CDA, there are no reports about its completion.

PCB’s financial position has also been satisfactory during the last four years. Both Ijaz Butt and Zaka Ashraf claimed that they had left billions of rupees in PCB’s kitty. Then Najam Sethi has also finished his tenure with the similar claim. But hardly any step was taken to improve the standard of the stadiums across the country, taking drought of international cricket as a blessing in disguise.

Hopefully, now immediate steps will be taken not only to improve the security situation but also to improve the condition of the stadiums.

When contacted PCB chairman Shaharyar assured a comprehensive planning would be done soon to bring considerable improvement in the stadiums. He said the Board of Governors had also held discussions in that regard.

Published in Dawn, November 15th, 2014