MIRPUR - Former AJK Cricket Association president M Nawaz Rattayal has said that Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has principally decided to grant regional status to Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) to encourage and promote cricket in the AJK territory.
Talking to the newsmen here on Saturday, Nawaz said that grant of regional status to AJK would not only help encourage the first class cricket in this region but also to produce the quality talent of national and international standard from the area.
“The grant of the regional status will also help AJK to perform independently under the supervision of the PCB to host Twenty20, one-day and four-day first class events in the AJK especially Mirpur city, where a world-class stadium with the seating capacity of over 25,000 spectators is already available to hold the matches,” he added.
He said that a conducive environment vis-à-vis foolproof security and peace and order were already available in Mirpur and rest of AJK for holding the cricket events. “Mirpur International Cricket Stadium is already being directly looked after by the PCB since it took its control from Mirpur Development Authority,” he pointed out.
Nawaz expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister of Pakistan Mian M Nawaz Sharif, who is also PCB patron-in-chief, AJK Prime Minister Ch Abdul Majeed, PCB chairman Najam Sethi, Member Governing Board Sheikh Shakeel and other concerned officials of PCB and AJK Sports Board for ensuring the grant of the regional status to AJK to facilitate the area for performing independently for the promotion of regional and first class cricket in the region.