PCB Pays Mere Rs 7,000 Annual Lease for Abbottabad Cricket Stadium Since 2000, Players' Contributions Ignored
The sources reveal that the Pakistan Cricket Board
(PCB) has been paying a paltry sum of Rs 7,000 annually for the lease of
Abbottabad Cricket Stadium since 2000, with no payments made after 2016. This
is despite the PCB receiving substantial funds from players through the cricket
association utilizing the same ground.
In 2000, District Council Abbottabad and TMA had
previously paid millions of rupees to the Cantonment Board Abbottabad for the
dumping site located in the Nawan Shahr area of Abbottabad. Following the
relocation of the dumping site, the land was handed over to the PCB under an
agreement, with an annual lease payment of Rs. 7,000. However, the PCB has
failed to fulfill its payment obligations for the past twenty-one years.
The agreement stipulated that the lease had to be
renewed every five years, but the PCB neglected this requirement, remaining
silent on the matter and ignoring requests for renewal. Recently, controversy
arose during the appointment of the Provincial Chief Executive of PCB, Babar,
regarding the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sports
Directorate intervened, issuing a notice, but the issue was subsequently suppressed.
Despite serving as a training ground for players
from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and former tribal areas, and hosting training camps and
Quaid-e-Azam Trophy matches, the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium remains neglected
in terms of lease payments. Wasim Akram previously hailed it as one of the most
beautiful stadiums globally, emphasizing its significance for Pakistani
cricket.
As of September 2022, the stadium has hosted 53
first-class matches, including Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and Quaid-e-Azam Trophy
Silver League matches, along with 14 A games.
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