India’s Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala is famous for its breathtaking beauty, nestled amidst the majestic Himalayan foothills. The HPCA stadium is situated at an impressive altitude of 1457 meters above sea level and attracts fans across the world.
Recently, this picturesque Dharamsala stadium took center stage on "The Pavilion," a popular Pakistani sports show broadcasted on Asports TV channel. During the show, legendary Pakistan cricketer Wasim Akram responded to a fan's question about not having such stunning stadiums in their country.
The fan questioned why the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) hasn't invested in creating new grounds in the northern regions of Pakistan, like Dharamsala Stadium in India or Queenstown Stadium in New Zealand. Akram explained the challenges faced by PCB in making such picturesque stadiums.
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A fan asked Akram on A Sports: “We have seen stadiums like Dharamsala and Queenstown (New Zealand) why is the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) not investing in the infrastructure of stadiums in the northern areas?”
To which Akram bluntly replied by saying: “We can’t even maintain three stadiums, (Baki kaha naya bana lenge) how could we make a new one? (Gaddafi ki chhat dekhi hai) Have you seen the roof of the Gaddafi Stadium that they were showing with the drone?”
He added, “We can’t even control the three we have. We can only dream of making a new one. We have enough area to make a new stadium, though. Abbottabad is a very beautiful ground.”
Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore was constructed in 1959 and is named after Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.