Zaheer Abbas Cricket Academy for Women opened at Viqarun Nisa College Rawalpindi ……….By.ASGHAR ALI MUBARAK

He said according to the vision of Chief Minister Punjab Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif,  government has focused on up-gradation of facilities for common man and huge mega projects had been completed in all areas of the province.

Hanif Abbasi informed that a state of art swimming pool had been constructed at Lahore with the cost of rupees sixty crore while 75 meter radius modern cricket stadium will be constructed adjacent to Shahbaz Chowk (Rawal Chowk) in Rawalpindi.

He also mentioned that six cricket grounds with flood lights had already been constructed in the colleges of Rawalpindi while first flood light cricket ground for Women cricket players had been constructed at Govt Post Graduate Viqar Un Nisa Girls College, Rawalpindi which will provide international cricket coaching and playing facilities to women cricketers.

Former Star Cricketer Zaheer Abbas addressing to the participants appreciated the spirit of                           Chief Minister Punjab Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif and Muhammad Hanif Abbasi for promotion of sports in the province and said that there is lot of potential of all sports including cricket and youngsters would prove their capabilities and talents. Asian Bradman Zaheer Abbas

advised the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) that England must be used

as a neutral venue for Pakistan to host their home series.

Talking to media at the inauguration ceremony of the Women

Cricket Academy at Government Viqar un Nisa College for Women,

Rawalpindi, Zaheer said we have seen the national team’s play in the

United Arab Emirates (UAE). “The team’s performance is not improving

playing in the UAE especially of our bowlers,” he said.

He suggested the PCB that instead of hosting our matches in

the UAE we can go for England as a neutral venue. “We have got a lot

of Pakistani crowd in England and playing in England would result in

better performance of the team,” he said.

He also urged PCB to take inputs from local former cricketers

in order to bring improvement in the game of cricket.

Responding to a question regarding the PCB to host a round

table conference next month, Zaheer said if the inputs given by the

cricketers in the round table conference are implemented then

cricket will surely improve.

Returning to the inauguration ceremony of the Women Cricket

Academy, Zaheer said he was very happy to see the sports spirit in

the Viqar un Nisa College. He also praised the Sport Board Punjab

for supporting the youth especially women in the field of sports.

“Hopefully we will soon be seeing players making it from Viqar

un Nisa College to the national women’s team,” he said.

Speaking on the occasion, Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-

1. N) leader Muhammad Hanif Abbasi said Zaheer Abbas is a great name of

our country and every cricketer wants to be like him.

“We are working under the vision of Chief Minister Punjab,

Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif to develop sports facilities,” he said.

He said we will also be laying the first blue astro-turf at

Viqar un Nisa College. “Sports grounds for Hockey, Cricket,

synthetic football grounds and others sports are also being

developed,” he said.

“Our main agenda is promotion of sports in the province and we

will utilize all recourses and energies to complete the development

plans as soon as possible.”

He said Chief Minister Punjab will also be inaugurating a

project on March 23 in Lahore. “No other province can compete with

us by means of the record development work being done in the Punjab

province,” he said.

The Principal Govt. Post Graduate Viqar Un Nisa Girls College, Rawalpindi, Sara Mufti, lauded the efforts of Muhammad Hanif Abbasi for his dedicated efforts for provision of sports facilities in Rawalpindi.

Former Pakistani Cricket players Muhammad Waseem, Masud Anwar, Coordinator PSB Najma Anwar, Faisal Shahzad, Nosheen Hanif, Divisional Sports Officer Manzar Shah, District Sports Officer Waheed Babar, Snobar Gul, Shafqat Niazi, Women Cricket Team players and students participated in the inaugural ceremony.