The Lahore City Cricket Association’s ground needs a massive renovation for bringing it to the level of world standard, but the LCCA faces shortage of funds and is dependent on Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

The ground has been serving the LCCA as lone venue under its control for the last 33 years. Though the Punjab government, in a latest step, has upgraded various grounds of the city and given some of them under the control of the association, the main hub of the cricket activities is still the LCCA ground. It needs improved facilities such as a new pavilion, a new umpires’ room, fencing around the ground, a hostel and a proper cafeteria.

“We have remained in contact with former chairman Ijaz Butt to get necessary funds, but failed and now we have all hopes on incumbent Zaka Ashraf,” LCCA President Khwaja Nadeem said during a chat with Dawn.

Though an umpires’ room is already available in the LCCA, which was built in 2002 by then PCB chairman Tauqir Zia, the LCCA president wanted a new one, since the existing one is being used by the association secretary.

“We have no proper offices and for that reason the LCCA secretary has to be adjusted in the umpires’ room,” Khwaja Nadeem said.

In 2002, Tauqir Zia spent an amount of Rs3 million on the renovation of the LCCA infrastructure under his Vision-2005 programme. Tauqir Zia, who lost the LCCA elections against Khwaja Nadeem a couple of years back, also got the entire pavilion renovated, besides re-laying a new ground and installing a new tube-well. However, the iron fencing of the ground could not be started at that time, for unknown reasons. But now due to no-fencing, the ground is being damaged because of trespassing of the players, who visit the LCCA to attend their training camps. During the matches, the entrance of such players to the ground has been creating a lot of trouble, some time even interrupting the game.

“We want to build an iron fencing around the ground which will not only make it safe from the unnecessary trespassing but also it will add to the beauty of the ground,” the LCCA head said.

In fact, the PCB is the only cash-rich body of the country and all the city cricket associations are entirely dependent on its financial aids. In the world over, cities have their own stadiums, where they hold Test and One-Day International matches on a rotation basis. Those international activities are creating heavy financial resources for those city cricket associations. But in Pakistan only the PCB has the control over Test and International venues.

Meanwhile, the LCCA president says the PCB has approved a grant of Rs1 million to sponsor the ongoing LCCA League, which is being held after almost two decades. “Though the amount is yet in the pipeline, it is confirmed that the PCB chairman has approved it and hopefully it will be handed over to the LCCA soon.”

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The Punjab will witness international sports activity next week after a long time, as Chinese hockey team is visiting Pakistan to play four Test match series. Besides Lahore, Faisalabad will also host one Test match, while the remaining two will be organised in Karachi. Last time, Indian hockey team played a series in Pakistan many years back. As the foreign teams are reluctant to visit Pakistan due to security reasons, our grounds are wearing a deserted look. But Pakistan’s most reliable friendly nation China has taken an initiative by sending its national team. Though the competition between Pakistan and China in hockey field is not likely to be a tough one, it will provide an opportunity to the Pakistan sports circles to attract other teams to visit Pakistan without any fear.

However, the governments of Punjab and Sindh should not take this opportunity lightly. In 2009, a blunder by the security officials had helped the terrorists to easily attack the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore. Since the attack, even the sports officials of the country did not invite any foreign team. But now the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has come forward and now it is the full responsibility of the two provincial governments to take every step to provide a comprehensive security to the Chinese team.

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Indian tennis star Rohan Bopanna with his country-mate Mustafa Ghouse is in Lahore to attend the marriage of his doubles’ partner Aisamul Haq of Pakistan. Bopanna and Aisam are known as `Indo-Pak Express’ in the tennis circles and they are also doing efforts to bring the two warring nations, closer to friendship in other fields too. Despite Bopanna remained busy in wedding ceremonies, which started on Friday, he did not waste any opportunity to visit tennis courts. First, he played tennis at Lahore Gymkhana course, where he is staying. Then he played at the Bagh-i-Jinnah courts. The local media has been giving a proper coverage to him.