The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has decided to bring in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to help revamp key cricket grounds in Islamabad as part of a wider plan to improve sports facilities in the federal capital.
Under the arrangement, PCB will assist with the preparation of pitches, upkeep of grounds, and provision of other facilities at major venues including Shalimar, Diamond, National, Bhutto, Banigala, and F-9 cricket grounds.
CDA officials said the grounds will remain under the authority’s ownership and control, while PCB will only manage their cricket-related improvement and use them for selected events such as first-class and Grade II matches. For the rest of the year, the venues will remain open for local players.
CDA Member Environment Abdullah Khurram Niazi said the civic agency has prepared a broader plan for upgrading cricket grounds and cricket academies in Islamabad. He said input would also be taken from former Test cricketers as part of the process.
He added that no private individual would be allowed to charge fees at CDA grounds or academies, saying the authority wants to ensure wider access for young and professional cricketers instead of turning sports facilities into commercial spaces.
According to the plan, CDA will also set up age-group cricket academies, which will be outsourced through a competitive process with a fee cap to prevent overcharging. However, dedicated academies for women’s cricket and children will be run directly by CDA.
Officials said the authority also wants to ensure that club cricketers continue to get free or affordable access to grounds, while corporate entities may be charged for using the facilities under a transparent digital system.
The move comes against the backdrop of long-running complaints about misuse of public grounds in Islamabad. In the past, some venues had reportedly been occupied by individuals who charged players heavily. CDA later took back control of those grounds and introduced an online booking system with a daily fee of Rs15,000, a cost many club cricketers found difficult to afford. That rental model has since been discontinued.
Niazi said the civic body is also planning wider sports activity in the capital, including sector-level competitions and stronger promotion of football, hockey, and other games.
