PCB Chairman visits National Cricket Academy

The Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Lt Gen Tauqir Zia Thursday afternoon visited the National Cricket Academy and inspected the progress of work. He was accompanied by Director Chishty Mujahid and Col (retd) Mohammad Parvaiz who is the Administrator of the NCA.

The PCB Chairman was given a briefing on the work by the contractor and the architect. The PCB Chairman visited every block of the Academy and expressed satisfaction with the quality of work.

The contractors, Rare Builders, have promised to hand over the Academy to the PCB on April 30. The Academy is nearing completion and final touches are being given to the project.

The Chairman said the players attending national training camps would be lodged in the Academy that is a vital part of his Vision-2005 programme. The PCB expects to save nearly Rs10 million annual on lodging and boarding once the Academy is operative.

The Academy is equipped with all the modern facilities like administration block, swimming pool, 28 living rooms, conference room, gymnasium, swimming pool, lecture rooms along with provision for computer labs, indoor school nets etc.

The Academy is a masterpiece of architecture and reflects the strong culture of the area. The Academy was officially inaugurated by President General Pervez Musharraf on February 8 this year.

"It is my dream to see it flourishing and producing results. I have no doubt in my mind that in days to come, Pakistan cricket would benefit from this Academy," Lt Gen Tauqir Zia said.

Director Chishty Mujahid said the PCB would formulate a policy in which the Academy is marketed and generated its own resources of income during off seasons. "It has to be a well planned activity.

"One of the proposals is to give the city associations the option to lodge their teams in the Academy for first-class matches in the season on subsidized rates. But off the season, we will have to devise some strategy so that the revenues keeps coming in and there is lesser pressure on the cricket board on its maintenance," Chishty Mujahid said.

Samiul Hasan
General Manager - Media
Mobile + 92 300 8424 389
April 10, 2003