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Photograph: (Source: @PakStartup X)
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The only stadium in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa area, Arbab Niaz Cricket Stadium, was built in 1984 and played host to numerous international matches. At first, the city's top cricket ground was named after Arbab Niaz Muhammad, a former federal sports minister. In 2006, the venue hosted its last international match, an ODI between India and Pakistan. Since then, over nineteen years have gone by without the ground hosting an international match.
The pressure to improve after losing the 2023 ODI World Cup and the Champions Trophy 2025 early can be too much to bear, but the 2019 ODI World Cup champions urgently need to regain their position as a dominant force on the global stage. According to recent sources, Imran Khan himself opposed the ground's renaming initiative, in addition to the regional governor and Niaz's family.
Arbab Niaz Stadium Controversy:
Arbab Niaz Stadium in Peshawar has been officially renamed to Imran Khan Cricket Stadium as part of its ongoing renovation. #ImranKhanCricketStadium#ArbabNiazStadium#Peshawar#StadiumRenovationpic.twitter.com/IWJYlc9Ba2
— Startup Pakistan (@PakStartup) April 6, 2025
The former cricket player for Pakistan has publicly stated that it would be improper to rename the ground in his honor. It turns out, though, that the ground crew and employees have already erected a signboard at the location that says, "Imran Khan Cricket Stadium."
Six teams will compete for the coveted trophy in the tenth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), which is quickly approaching in 2025. Even though Peshawar Zalmi is a formidable team in the tournament, they will not be participating in any games in their hometown. The PSL X schedule has already been released, and starting on April 11, matches will be held in four cities: Multan, Rawalpindi, Karachi, and Lahore.
In order to determine whether the ground is suitable for hosting PSL or possibly international matches in the future, representatives of the International Cricket Council (ICC) recently inspected the location. Peshawar is reportedly not one of the host locations because of persistent security issues in the area.
Watch this space for more cricket news.
