SWABI: Cricketers and fans here expressed anguish over damaging of the Gohati Cricket Stadium in Swabi where Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan addressed a gigantic public gathering on Saturday.

They said on the condition of anonymity that the venue is the only Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) cricket stadium in the district.

Swabi is also the hometown of Test cricketers Yasir Shah and Junaid Khan, while several prominent players have made a name for themselves in the domestic competitions organised by the PCB as well as the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

All the affairs of the stadium are run by Swabi Cricket Association (SCA), a registered body of the district cricketers.

When contacted former members of SCA said that PTI chairman is our cricketing legend but they did not know why he preferred to hold a public meeting at the sole cricket stadium in the district, a place where the ordinary cricketers transcend into giants and made mark in the world of cricket.

Aamir Nawab, a former member of PCB governing board member and president of Abbottabad region, said that Imran is a legend of the game but damaging the cricket ground should be condemned.

“Asad Qaiser, former speaker of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assembly and Shahram Khan Tarakai, former provincial health minister had given a cheque of Rs1 million to the Swabi Deputy Commissioner before the gathering as guarantee to remove if any parts of the stadium were damage during the public meeting,” said one of the officials.

However, the cricketers said that once damaged the past magnificence and glory of the stadium could not be restored.

“The ground which we strive to guard and protect has been damaged,” said an official who is involved in the pitch preparation.

When rush of peoples’ arrival for the gathering increased the boundary wall of the stadium broke in two places.

“Now that needs immediate repairing because without boun­dary wall the stadium did not remain stadium,” said the official.

When contacted one of the staff at the stadium said that they worked for the whole day on Sunday but still there is a lot of work to be done to get the stadium in proper condition.

It has been learnt that the clay for the pitch was specially brought from Gujranwala and now there was need more standard clay to prepare the patch once again.

However, the local cricketers expressed fear that if the politicians of the political parties promote a tradition to hold public meetings in the cricket stadium then it would not remain worth playing cricket in future.

They recalled that it was third public meeting in the stadium. Earlier former President Pervez Musharraf and ex-Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz addressed the gathering in separate public gatherings here.

The cricketers demanded that leaders of political parties should avoid holding public meetings at the Gohati Stadium and play their due role in the promotion of sports, especially cricket.

“Instead of depriving us from basic sporting facilities, the politicians should work for the promotion of sports facilities and encourage the youngsters,” said Mohammad Sadiq, a local cricket player.

Published in Dawn, July 17th , 2018