Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board Ehsan Mani on Wednesday paid a surprise visit to Arbab Niaz Cricket Stadium and inspected the ongoing reconstructing work to make it according to international need with all facilities costing Rs 1.70billion.

Flanked by Director General Sports Asfandyar Khan Khattak, former Test cricketer Director Development Niamat Ullah Khan Marwat, AD Development Munir Abbas, Architect Sajjad Khan, Ehsan Mani said that after the completion of work at the Arbab Niaz Cricket Stadium, it would help in bringing international cricket back to Peshawar including matches of HBL PSL-5.

Ehsan Mani, who is on a two-day visit to Peshawar, was briefed by Director General (DG) Sports Asfandyar Khan Khattak before reaching at the new look of Arbab Niaz Cricket Stadium. Ehsan Mani said that with the construction work Arbab Niaz Cricket Stadium, it would accommodate 35000 spectators, having all facilities according to the ICC need.

PCB Chief said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is full of talent with the attaining international standard of the Arbab Niaz Cricket Stadium it would be key center for international cricket like it was in the past.

He said now with the bird-eye floodlight similarly like in Dubai Cricket Stadium in UAE at Arbab Niaz Cricket Stadium would help Pakistan Cricket Board to use it as central venue alongside Karachi, Lahore, Multan and Rawalpindi for the Test, ODIs and Twenty20 Cricket.

He said Arbab Niaz Cricket Stadium host many international Test and One-Day International matches and with the up-gradation and equipping it with facilities that has currently in the Dubai Cricket Stadium, the Peshawarites would see top players in action again.

He said the provincial government is very keen to involve the youth in healthy and productive activities and that is why initiative has taken to revamp Arbab Niaz Cricket Stadium. He said Chief Minister Mahmood Khan is very keen to complete the 1000 grounds facilities in all across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and merged tribal areas for youth.

In his briefing DG Sports Asfandyar Khan Khattak said that after successful completion of more than 130 grounds across KP, 1000 grounds project was initiated by the government during a four-year plan and out of 1000 grounds 40 grounds would be constructed in the merged tribal districts.

He said normalcy has returned to the province after the long years of militancy and it is a right time to arrange sports activities for the youth to portray softer image of the province and involve them in productive activities.

He said on the special directives of the Chief Minister KP Mahmood Khan the Directorate of Sports KP started a number of activities to provide opportunities to the youth to exhibit their hidden talent and bring name to the province and the country at national and international levels.

The stadium would be rehabilitated with a total cost of Rs 1.70 billion but overall a total of Rs 2.2 billion allocated by KP government to provide enhanced sports activities to the upcoming players. DG Spots KP Asfandyar Khan said after the execution of 1000 ground project and Arbab Niaz Cricket Stadium KP would get a unique status in the rank of other provinces as far as modern day facilities.

He said, it would be the only Cricket Stadium, which is under one wall accommodation for 200 players as of a level of 4-Star accommodation, swimming pool, modern day electronic gymnasium, indoor net practice, electronic pitches and an academy of level of National Cricket Academy Lahore.

He said, the facilities included improvement of ground, new pavilion, changing rooms, enhancing seating capacity from 1400 to 35000 spectators with chair, additional floor will be constructed on the stairs, flood-light, dining halls, conference halls, swimming pool, office-rooms wash rooms blocks, media galleries, VIP stands, generators for floodlit, two gymnasium, indoor practice pitches, and digital monitoring systems.

Earlier, Chairman PCB along DG Sports, Test cricketer Kabir Khan, Niamat Ullah Marwat, Munir Abbas and Sajjad Khan have a detail round of the under construction areas.

PCB Chief lauded KP government for showing commitment and dedication toward promoting healthy sports activities by involving maximum youth of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.