Wasim Akram feels the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) hasn’t been properly maintaining the existing cricket stadiums in the country. The legendary pacer made the remarks after a fan referred to India’s Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, which is located in the picturesque town of Dharamsala at an altitude of 1457 meters above sea level.
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Being in the foothills of the Himalayas, the ground enables a majestic view of snow-peaked mountains, making it one of the most beautiful cricket stadiums in the world.
During a recent interaction on A Sports, Akram was asked why the PCB hasn’t ever considered building a stadium in northern Pakistan straddling the Himalayas, Karakoram and the Hindu Kush ranges. Apart from Dharamsala, the fan also mentioned New Zealand’s John Davies Oval, which is situated in the mountainous city of Queenstown near Lake Wakatipu and its scenic beauty is as appreciable as the HPCA Stadium.
“We have seen stadiums like Dharamsala and Queenstown (New Zealand). Why is the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) not investing in the infrastructure of stadiums in the northern areas?" the person asked.
The question got a blunt reply from Akram, who reckons the Pakistan board has been struggling to maintain the existing stadiums, so asking for a new one can be an excessive demand. Giving logic to his statement, the former cricketer mentioned Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium, which supposedly needs some renovations.
“We can’t even maintain three stadiums, (Baki kaha naya bana lenge) how could we make a new one? (Gaddafi ki chhat dekhi hai?) Have you seen the roof of the Gaddafi Stadium that they were showing with the drone? We can’t even control the three we have. We can only dream of making a new one," Wasim Akram said on A Sports’ The Pavilion show.
The cricketer-turned-pundit, however, admitted that there is “enough area" in Pakistan where the PCB could have built a new stadium. He further mentioned the Abbottabad Stadium in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which has yet to get global recognition. The venue, situated in a hilly region, only hosts First-Class and List-A games at present. “Abbottabad is a very beautiful ground," Akram acknowledged.
Speaking about Dharamsala, the state-of-the-art stadium offers every top-class facility despite being located in a high-altitude region. The ground played host to a World Cup match for the first time in October last year. The fifth match of India’s recently concluded Test series against England also took place in Dharamsala last week.
Key: Wasim Akram, HPCA Stadium, Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Pakistan Cricket Board, PCB, Wasim Akram slams PCB, Stadium in Pakistan’s northern region, Wasim Akram on A Sports
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