In an emotional display in front of the media, current PCB chief Najam Sethi has vowed that come what may, the PCB will make sure that the Gaddafi stadium cricket field is clear of all encroachments before the Sri Lankan cricket team arrives to play a Twenty Twenty international game.
“I will use all my power, and make sure that the PCB gets rid of all the illegal settlements at Gaddafi stadium,” he said.
Gaddafi stadium, which has barely seen any cricket since the 2009, will finally be seeing international action against a team not famous for being bad. However this 8 year drought for cricket has been bountiful for many local businesses and shopowners that have utilised the abandoned stadium for their own purposes.
The PCB is now attempting to get them out. For this they have launched a multi-phase plan.
“This plan has been formed by be, Najam Sethi, in consultation with PCB Chief executive Najam Sethi, PCB King Najam Sethi, Chief Selector Najam Sethi, and former Chairman Najam Sethi” informed Najam Sethi to the intense presser.
“The first phase involves convincing vendors of flags and other nationalistic totems to move their stalls out of the ground. Our plan for this is telling them that independence day is over and that they should now move on.” told Sethi.
According to further details provided to the press in a handout, the second phase includes making sure the game does not take place on a Sunday.” Sunday will be problematic as there is no way to convince the local Sunday market vendors to move their business for even a week” read the handout.
Furthermore, the PCB is also trying to devise a solution to the rampant cattle grazing incursion which has uprooted most of the little grass that existed in Gadaffi. No phase has up until now been formulated to deal with this problem.
“Before this we had paid rent to the Sunday market, the cattle grazers and the other vendors in the ground including fruit and vegetable seller to host the PSL final and the Zimbabwe series. But the Sri Lanka visit is a huge deal and we are going full out. Also, we don’t have the money to pay rent for the ground anymore” added Sethi.
