There's going to be a world-class stadium built in Islamabad, according to the chairman of the CDA. He claims it's going to be an amazing and fabulous stadium. The question is, the people of Islamabad have been waiting for years and hearing these claims—will it actually happen or not? So, what do you all think? Do you believe that a stadium of such high standards can really be built in Islamabad, as they've said? Yes or no? And what are your expectations for this stadium?
So, during an interview, he mentioned that he's breaking this news story about a stadium being built in Islamabad. There's a really interesting backstory to this, and you’ll want to stick around for the video because I’ll show you some amazing facts. The idea for the Islamabad Cricket Stadium first came up in 2009, when it was decided that a stadium should be built there, and they even laid the groundwork and chose the location. However, due to various reasons, the stadium plans faced some delays.
The land didn’t get cleared for the stadium, and now it’s being used for something else. So, the Islamabad stadium never got built. There were a lot of talks about it being constructed—here, there, everywhere—but they were just talks, empty promises. From 2010 to now, it’s almost 2025, and it’s been 15 years without a stadium in Islamabad, the capital of your country. It’s considered one of the most beautiful cities in the world, clean and neat, but nothing has come of it.
It's not the same as it used to be, but it's still a pretty decent city. There are spots in Islamabad where you can find plenty of space. You can easily set up a world-class stadium and a hotel, and manage activities without any hassle. No road closures, no complicated routes, and no protocol issues. Life can carry on pretty smoothly, and people won't face any trouble getting around. Plus, the stadium will have good facilities too.
Pakistan has a lot of stadiums, but unfortunately, there's not a single one that you can call a world-class stadium right now. There's a reason for that. Some stadiums are currently being renovated, and if they turn out really good after the renovations, then maybe they could be great. But as of now, the issue is that usually, when construction happens around the world, sports buildings, like stadiums for football, are built with certain standards.
"Cricket experts know that building a regular structure like a plaza or a mall requires a different set of skills compared to putting up a sports facility. In Pakistan, they usually hire generic consultants for these projects who don't specialize in sports. Since I've worked in different stadiums in Pakistan and done commentary, I can say that I've never come across a stadium where I thought, ‘Wow, this is a great spot for commentary.’"
The view is that the media boxes and pillars are all messed up. When you look through the camera angle, the pillars get in the way, so fans can't see properly. A lot of things in the stadium might have been fine back in the day, but with modern developments, they haven't upgraded the stadiums to keep up. They really need to be updated over time. The good news is that some upgrades are happening, but I hope they're not just happening in Lahore and Karachi and not in Pindi.
Things are coming together in Pindi with just some light renovations happening. I hope they turn out well enough for us to showcase them. The stadiums here are really nice, so let’s take a look at how many good ones Pakistan has right now and how functional they are. Let’s chat about it. First up is the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, which is also the headquarters of the Pakistan Cricket Board. Then there's the Arbab Niaz Stadium in Peshawar, and after that, we have the Multan Cricket Stadium in Multan.
International cricket has been happening at various venues like Qasim Bagh Ground, where international matches have taken place. Then there's the National Bank Cricket Ground in Karachi and the National Stadium, which we refer to as Karachi's stadium. Ravalpindi Cricket Stadium, Bugti Cricket Stadium in Quetta, and Jinnah Stadium in Gujranwala have also hosted international cricket. Sachin Tendulkar made his debut there too. There's also the Kayyum Stadium in Peshawar and Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad, where big international cricket events have occurred. And let's not forget about the Quaid-e-Azam Stadium in Mirpur, Azad Kashmir, and the new stadium in Hyderabad.
"I don't know when it'll get some attention. Big players have come out of Sheikhpura, like Mohammad Asif and Rana Naveed. The local cricket scene in Sheikhpura is strong, with first-class venues like Hayatabad Sports Complex and Muzaffarabad Cricket Stadium. Besides those, there's the Zahoor Elahi Cricket Stadium in Gujrat and the Benazir Bhutto International Cricket Stadium. Gadi Khuda Bakhsh and Zafar Ali Stadium are also there, along with a lot of private stadiums, including Shah Sahab's stadium. There's also the State Bank Stadium in Karachi."
A lot of people have built private stadiums in their cities, and when it comes to stadiums, it's a really interesting topic that the public is quite keen on. They love watching videos about it and are curious to know more. Right now, there are four stadiums in Pakistan that can host international-level cricket: one is the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, another is the National Cricket Stadium in Karachi, then there's the one in Qalaafi, and lastly, the one in Multan. But Multan isn't ideal because of the logistics issues, especially when it comes to hotels.
It's a long way from there to the stadium, so a lot of things have to be shut down for international cricket to happen. But that doesn't mean we should stop organizing matches there because the people of Multan love cricket and always participate enthusiastically. We need to find some solutions, maybe build a hotel nearby or come up with some other ideas to make it easier. And then there are some stadiums that need to be restored quickly, like the Jinnah Stadium and Gulzar Stadium.
Legassi is a cricket stadium in Bahawalpur, and there's a new stadium in Sheikhupura, Sialkot. The Iqbal Stadium in Hyderabad wasn't functional before, but it needs to be fully operational now. There might be some delays, but it wasn't operational before. The ground in Atabad also needs to be turned into a stadium; it's a really beautiful spot. There are plenty of stadiums that should have a vision for the next five years. We should aim for at least 12 international venues in Pakistan. If that's too much, we can start with eight international-level stadiums across the country.
"Let’s set it up so you guys can host, like, you know, how things are done in different places. You’ve never really seen the local scene in cricket, have you? People there know what’s up. Pakistan’s been around for 76 years, and you probably don’t even know what the pitches are like, except for the locals. They could team up with the local government to build a nice hotel, like a VIP hotel, and if it’s possible, hold matches there. There’s a lot of excitement in Sindh, and they could also have matches in Balochistan wherever they can. Even in Peshawar, they should hold matches until there are proper cricket stadiums."
"If we don't get things sorted out, cricket won't reach its potential. You need to share your thoughts on what should happen, so give your opinion."
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