Ashraf vowed to make the stadium central to the training and grooming of cricketers from not only Islamabad, but adjoining regions such as Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Zaka Ashraf vowed to make the stadium central to the training and grooming of cricketers from not only Islamabad, but adjoining regions such as Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. – File photo by Reuters

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is set to build an international cricket stadium and an academy in Islamabad.

PCB, on Monday, was allotted 35 acres of land by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) for the establishment of a stadium in the Shakarparian area of the capital, a press release said.

Both bodies signed a memorandum of understanding, in the presence of PCB Chairman Zaka Ashraf, CDA Chairman Farkhand Iqbal and Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Task Force for Islamabad Faisal Sakhi Butt.

“The international cricket stadium will be an added feature in the capital’s modern development,” Butt said.

The stadium and the academy will be geared towards providing better training facilities to the locals.

“This region has a great talent for cricket and by establishing an academy, we will aim to nurture and polish that talent,” Ashraf told reporters.

Ashraf vowed to make the stadium central to the training and grooming of cricketers from not only Islamabad, but adjoining regions such as Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

According to the agreement, CDA will receive a revenue share of 30 per cent from every national and international match, while the remaining 70 per cent will go to the PCB.

Currently, there are no PCB-owned cricket stadiums or academies in the capital. The Diamond Club Ground is used by the regional team (Federal Areas) during domestic tournaments. Rawalpindi, however, is home to the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, which has hosted eight Test matches and 23 one-day internationals.

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