Pindi Stadium to get new giant screen, 12,000 chairs

ISLAMABAD: Pindi Cricket Stadium will be equipped with a giant TV screen and 12,000 chairs will be installed ahead of the Champions Trophy.

A PCB official, when approached by The News, confirmed that the latest giant screen will be installed besides the other upgradation work. “The Stadium is the venue for the Champions Trophy matches as three major upgradation works have already started.

We took over the venue on December 26 as Champions Cup matches were going on at the site. The most attractive up-gradation work is the installation of the latest giant screen that will also act as electronic scoreboard besides displaying action and replays when these are required.

It will be a big addition to the Stadium’s beauty and for fans watching at the Stadium,” the official said. Besides hosting the Pakistan-Bangladesh match on February 27, the venue will also host Bangladesh-New Zealand match on February 24 and the match between Australia and South Africa on February 25.

All these 50 overs-a-side matches will be day and night games. It has also been decided to fill the concrete stands with chairs as around 12,000 seats which were earlier installed at the Gaddafi Stadium have been shifted to Rawalpindi.

“These chairs will be upgraded, given a fresh look and installed on all those stands which do not have chairs. Once these are installed, every stand will have permanent chairs,” he said. The Pindi Stadium was constructed in 1990-91 and since then it has seen the upgradation of pavilion building and media enclosure.

The PCB official also revealed that required adjustments will be made in floodlights. “We are planning to make some adjustments in Pindi Stadium floodlight facilities wherever required. I don’t think there is a need for a major change but wherever we think there is a requirement we will do that.” He hoped to complete all the upgrades at the Stadium within the next three weeks. “The deadline is January 20 but in all probability everything will be ready well before that.”