he Champions Cup cricket tournament, played from September 12 to 29 at Iqbal Stadium Faisalabad, concluded with a record number of spectators and a thrilling final. The tournament drew large crowds throughout and the stadium was packed to capacity for the final match.

Following the success of the Champions Cup, matches for the President’s Cup began on October 3, offering cricket fans in Faisalabad yet another opportunity to witness national-level competitions. This has been a welcome development for the citizens who have long waited for the return of national and international cricket to Iqbal Stadium.

Earlier, after seeing the strong turnout during the Champions Cup, Mohsin Naqvi, the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman, had hinted at the possibility of hosting some of the Pakistan Super League matches and international fixtures at Iqbal Stadium. He has also presented a proposal during the PCB executive board meeting to place Iqbal Stadium under the PCB and upgrade the venue to meet international standards.

Sources say the plan includes the construction of high-quality accommodation for players and officials. This could eliminate the need for traffic disruption during cricket matches.

PCB spokesperson Muhammad Shakeel says international matches will not be played at Iqbal Stadium until the stadium is handed over to the PCB.

“Given the success of the Champions Cup, the PCB chairman has taken personal interest in upgrading Iqbal Stadium and making at an international venue. We are hopeful that the stadium will be soon handed over to the PCB,” says Shakeel.

However, it is not clear whether any of the matches during the 10^th edition of the PSL will be held at Iqbal Stadium.

Two years ago, the PCB had announced that a series will be played in Faisalabad between Pakistan and Bangladesh Under-19 teams. It would consist of a four-day match, three one day matches and two T20 matches.

However, shortly after the announcement, the PCB decided that the ground and pitch conditions at Iqbal Stadium were unsatisfactory. The series was then relocated to Multan. Some reports suggested that the management committee of Iqbal Stadium had refused to cede control to the PCB.

PCB’s director of domestic cricket, Nadeem Khan, says that the board had held several meetings with the local administration to improve facilities at the stadium to host international matches. He says due to lack of progress, PSL matches and international matches had not been played at Iqbal Stadium in recent years.

It seems that the revival of Iqbal Stadium as an international cricket venue now hinges on whether the issue of administrative control can be resolved.

Journalist Tanveer Shaukat says that there is an urgent need to upgrade Iqbal Stadium and the urban infrastructure around it to host PSL or international matches. “At least eight TV channels broadcast the PSL and international matches. However, Iqbal Stadium lacks adequate space for installation of cameras. The accommodation for media personnel is also inadequate,” he says.

Shaukat says the stadium does not have proper dressing rooms or other facilities for the teams and officials participating in high-profile events.

The reluctance to hand over control of Iqbal Stadium to the PCB continues to hinder the venue’s potential as a hub for national and international cricket events.

He says the current management is unwilling to let go of the stadium because it makes a lot of money from it. “A play-land on the stadium premises brings an annual rent of Rs 600,000. The parking contractor pays Rs 1.8 million a year. Many shops and offices stadium have been leased out,” he says.

He claims that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif had at one point approved the transfer of Iqbal Stadium to the PCB. However, the district administration had managed to obstruct the implementation of the decision.

“Iqbal Stadium is available for private schools, colleges and businesses to host their events. However, very few cricket matches are now played here,“ he says.

Tariq Fareed, chief organiser of Railway Cricket Club, Faisalabad, says that there are 82 cricket clubs registered with the PCB in Faisalabad. “Apart from Iqbal Stadium and Bohran Wali Ground, there is no other cricket ground in the city. These clubs are charged exorbitant fees for playing matches at these facilities. Most of the clubs cannot afford these fees,” Fareed says.

Farid says the administration should not allow all kinds of events at the stadium. “The ground is no longer suitable for international matches. Due to the lack of necessary upgrades, the PCB has stopped scheduling matches here. The recent tournament was played here only because other facilities are undergoing renovation,” he says.

Tariq Fareed says that, in the past, the PCB had offered to upgrade Iqbal Stadium’s ground, build a media gallery, modernise the dressing rooms and enhance the seating capacity. “However, the district administration did not agree to the proposal,” he says.

Iqbal Stadium is owned by the Punjab Sports Board. Its operational control currently rests with the Iqbal Stadium Management Committee (ISMC). The committee is chaired by the deputy commissioner. Its members include the additional deputy commissioner (general), director general of the Parks and Horticulture Authority, the additional deputy commissioner in charge of finance and panning, chief officer of the Metropolitan Corporation, the Buildings Department executive engineer, the City tehsil assistant commissioner, the director of the Arts Council, the district sports officer, the finance and planning officer, the deputy director in charge of development and the Chenab Club secretary.

The unofficial members of the committee include the president of the Chamber of Commerce, CEOs of three local textile mills, the general manager of another textile mill and two former national cricketers.

The last meeting of the committee was held in December 2022. The minutes of that meeting are not available. The day-to-day operations, including the affairs of 107 shops and offices and 36 kanals of land housing a restaurant, a food court and two play-lands, are managed by the caretaker, Naveed Nazir.

The authority to nominate committee members and the discretion to spend out of the revenue generated from Iqbal Stadium rests with the deputy commissioner.

Despite several requests made under the RTI law, audit reports were not provided.

Earlier, in response to an RTI request, the management committee had said it had leased the stadium from the Punjab government; and that it was not obliged to provide the requested information.

However, the Punjab Information Commission rejected the claim last year, directing the committee to provide the lease agreement. The directive has yet to be complied with.

The Punjab government should ensure transparency and accountability of public officials.

Iqbal Stadium, built in the 1970s, has hosted 25 Test matches and 14 One Day Internationals. The first Test match played at this venue was between Pakistan and India in October 1978; the last Test was played in January 2006, also between these two teams. The first ODI match at Iqbal Stadium was played in November 1984 between Pakistan and New Zealand; the last one was played in April 2008 between Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Hammad Ahmed, a Geo News reporter who covered the Champion Cup tournament, said that the media gallery, the players’ dressing rooms and the pavilion were substandard. He also said 80 per cent of the stadium’s stands did not have adequate seating or shade.

The writer has been associated with journalism for the past decade. He tweets @ naeemahmad876