Pakistan: Sindh Govt may take over Niaz Stadium

Hyderabad, May 30: The Niaz Stadium may be taken over by the Sindh government, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Lt Gen Tauqir Zia hinted.

The chairman, who toured Hyderabad on Tuesday, expressed his utter disappointment at the condition of the ground during his visit. He told the Hyderabad Division Cricket Association (HDCA) officials that Niaz Stadium will not be awarded any international match in the forthcoming season because of the poor field.

Tauqir Zia said he would meet the Governor of Sindh and will persuade him to take control of the Niaz Stadium from Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (HMC) after completing legal formalities.

He, however, admitted that the Hyderabad city deserved another stadium of international standard.

He assured the HDCA officials that the PCB would send its chief curator Bashir Khan to prepare four pitches of the Municipal Garden's stadium so that practice matches could be played there.

He also said a PCB coach would be sent to Hyderabad to coach and guide the youngsters.

He agreed to include two promising local players Shahid Kambrani and Imran Naseer in the training camp on board's expenses. He, nevertheless, cleared that if the two were not up to the mark, they would sent back.

He held a closed door meeting with the officials of the Hyderabad Division Cricket Association (HDCA) and later inaugurated a 60-day coaching clinic being organized by the Pakistan Sports Welfare Association (PSWA).