waquas_uk
27th May 2005, 22:31
KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday reached an agreement with the trust looking after the Multan Cricket Stadium who agreed to hand them over the stadium on a 30-year lease.
"We’ve held a very good meeting with the trust members including its Chairman DCO Iftikhar Babar and they’ve agreed in principle to hand over the stadium to the Board on a 30-year lease which is extendable after that period for another 30 years," PCB Director Board Operations Abbas Zaidi said on Thursday.
The PCB is presently on a mission to reach agreements with the caretakers of the Rawalpindi, Faisalabad and Multan stadiums —all international venues —to get direct control of these stadiums.
The PCB wants to renovate these stadiums on commercial lines and also install floodlights at Faisalabad and Multan, both of them being Test centres.
"The trust has agreed that we’ll renovate the stadium, have our staff maintain it on a daily basis and install floodlights," Zaidi said and added, "We are happy with the cooperation extended by the trust members and particularly the DCO who was also keen that the stadium be maintained properly and modernised."
Zaidi said however while fruitful discussions had been held with the administration officials of Faisalabad, the Board was yet to sign a formal agreement with them confirming the Board could install floodlights there and have direct control of the venue.
"But we are hopeful of reaching a final agreement in Faisalabad also as they are keen to allow us maintenance and use of the stadium while they would’ve control over the shops and showrooms outside the stadium," he stated.
The PCB is due to host six Tests and 10 One-day Internationals against England and India this season besides the Asia Cup tournament.
It is also scheduled to start a massive expansion and renovation programme at the National Stadium in Karachi from August 1 at a cost of 400 million rupees.
"We’ve held a very good meeting with the trust members including its Chairman DCO Iftikhar Babar and they’ve agreed in principle to hand over the stadium to the Board on a 30-year lease which is extendable after that period for another 30 years," PCB Director Board Operations Abbas Zaidi said on Thursday.
The PCB is presently on a mission to reach agreements with the caretakers of the Rawalpindi, Faisalabad and Multan stadiums —all international venues —to get direct control of these stadiums.
The PCB wants to renovate these stadiums on commercial lines and also install floodlights at Faisalabad and Multan, both of them being Test centres.
"The trust has agreed that we’ll renovate the stadium, have our staff maintain it on a daily basis and install floodlights," Zaidi said and added, "We are happy with the cooperation extended by the trust members and particularly the DCO who was also keen that the stadium be maintained properly and modernised."
Zaidi said however while fruitful discussions had been held with the administration officials of Faisalabad, the Board was yet to sign a formal agreement with them confirming the Board could install floodlights there and have direct control of the venue.
"But we are hopeful of reaching a final agreement in Faisalabad also as they are keen to allow us maintenance and use of the stadium while they would’ve control over the shops and showrooms outside the stadium," he stated.
The PCB is due to host six Tests and 10 One-day Internationals against England and India this season besides the Asia Cup tournament.
It is also scheduled to start a massive expansion and renovation programme at the National Stadium in Karachi from August 1 at a cost of 400 million rupees.