The city of Hyderabad is famous for many reasons. It’s cool evening breeze, its Hala Naka mutton karahi, it’s rabri and its Bombay bakery cakes make it distinctive among other cities. It also doesn’t lag behind when it comes to sports, especially cricket, as it has the historic Niaz Stadium — the only international centre in Sindh after Karachi —where Pakistan has an unbeaten record in Tests and ODI.

Though there are many historic records attached to it, it seems that the ground itself has become a part of history. Even though it is a proven lucky venue for many celebrities, it itself remains unfortunate. The ground — now Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) symbol of neglect — is crying for development, promised by the board eight years back.

Apparently, the PCB has put the infrastructure development of the stadium on the backburner while investing hugely in new projects of stadiums / academies elsewhere. No development work of note has been initiated for which its administrative control was obtained on lease basis from Hyderabad’s district government by the Dr Nasim Ashraf-led board under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed in July 2007.

The historic Niaz Stadium is in a condition of ruin after it lost its international hosting rights due to not having a five-star hotel nearby

Its golden jubilee celebrations in 2012 were observed without any cheer under Zaka Ashraf’s PCB. An exhibition match was organised to mark the occasion in the presence of Ashraf, who at the time announced the installation of flood lights at the stadium, which is yet to happen.

It is a ground where former fast-bowler Jalaluddin recorded the first hat-trick of ODIs and the legendary Javed Miandad spread delight with a superb unbeaten knock of 280. Intikhab Alam hit his career’s solo century and cricketer-turned-politician legend Imran Khan earned his best bowling figures here. All these cricket luminaries were conspicuous by their absence at the ground’s golden jubilee. None were perhaps invited by the organisers.

Established in November 1961, thanks to efforts of the then commissioner Niaz Ahmed, it hosted domestic and international cricket matches with a capacity of 10,000 though some estimates put it at close to 15,000. The inaugural first class match was played here between South Zone and Pakistan Education Board on March 16-18, 1962.

It also hosted the first international Test between Pakistan and England on March 16-21, 1973. Niaz stadium, in all, has hosted five Tests and seven ODIs till January 2008. It has always lured cricket-crazy locals whenever an ODI is played here.

The outfield is still nicely maintained

So far 151 first class matches have been played in this stadium that is counted fifth among Pakistan’s top 10 stadiums. The PCB could be credited for the routine outfield’s upkeep. But the enclosures remain in pretty bad shape with the structure crumbling. Its surface level also hasn’t been raised.

This ground where the celebrated cricket commentator Chishti Mujahid made his debut as commentator has never even been considered for a national T20 tournament due to there being no flood lights there.

Meanwhile, the PCB has taken several projects of stadiums / academies in Garhi Khuda Bux, Islamabad, Multan, Abbottabad and Karachi in hand. No sports-friendly mind would oppose such brisk development but it is mind-boggling that huge expenses are made on new projects, while the existing grounds and that too with historic background like Niaz Stadium are left unattended. Gari Khuda Bux stadium is far away from main Larkana city where players avoid playing for reasons of security and suitable accommodation.

Niaz Stadium witnessed Javed Miandad and Mudassar Nazar’s sharing a record 451 third-wicket partnership against India in 1983 that remained unbroken for a long time. The partnership helped the Imran Khan-led team to win the match by beating India with an innings and 119 runs on Jan 14, 1983. Miandad hit an unbeaten 280 and Muddassar 231. Miandad was unlucky as he missed a triple century as Khan opted to declare the innings.

It is mind-boggling that huge expenses are made on new projects, while the existing grounds and that too with historic background like Niaz Stadium are left unattended. Gari Khuda Bux stadium is far away from main Larkana city where players avoid playing for reasons of security and suitable accommodation.

“For me it was a normal innings. Still I will say I became ambitious from then onwards to score more 100s and I did,” Miandad says. He scored 100 in each innings in the 1,000th cricket Test played here between Pakistan and New Zealand on Nov 25-29, 1984. Pakistan won with a day to spare with Miandad ending up as the second Pakistani after Hanif Mohammad to score 100 in both innings. Javed reminisced how he often played at this Test centre located off the famous Thandi Sarak (Fatima Jinnah Road). He says that the ground was certainly not maintained the way it deserves to be maintained.

The pavilion

Prior to the Miandad-Mudassar innings, pacer Jalaluddin had created a world record — first hat-trick in ODIs — in the first ODI played on this ground. He grabbed 4/32 against the Aussies on Sept 20, 1982. “I remember that outing. You know I wasn’t part of the playing eleven but came in due to Imran Khan’s exclusion as he arrived late from a series in England,” he says. “After the match,” he adds, “until the next morning when newspapers carried news of the first hat-trick I didn’t even know what a feat I had accomplished.”

“I delivered the first spell of four overs from the pavilion end and was unsuccessful. Sikandar Bakht was bowling from the other end. He wanted to swap ends. So I bowled the second spell from the Eid Gah end, ending up with four scalps as the wind started to support me there,” Jalaluddin says. His three victims were Rodney Marsh, Bruce Yardley and Jeff Lawson besides Allan Border. One of the new enclosures to be built was to be named after Jalaluddin for his landmark achievement but in vain.

The inaugural plaque at the stadium

Interestingly, Jeff Lawson, the third victim in Jalal’s hat-trick, became Pakistan’s coach later. During his visit to Niaz Stadium for a Pakistan-Zimbabwe match on Jan 24, 2008, he recalled his 1982 experience. “Yes, I do remember that match because mine was the third wicket of that hat-trick. It was very hard at that time to have a lengthy drive [to Hyderabad from Karachi]. It took us six hours to reach Hyderabad and then back to Karachi,” Lawson had concluded.

In the mid-90s the ground’s outfield was destroyed in heavy monsoonal rains as Hyderabad Municipal Corporation that owns it turned a blind eye to it. Not long ago it was used as a helipad for government functionaries’ choppers. Some elite even used this venue for wedding ceremonies in 2005, pitching tents right in the outfield, leading to an outcry by cricket journalists and organisers. This practice was discontinued then and the ground was given to the PCB.

Niaz Stadium was also the inaugural centre of the 1987 World Cup — opened by the then premier Mohammad Khan Junejo — in which Pakistan beat Sri Lanka with Miandad hitting his sixth century (103 off 96 balls). It was deprived of a fixture in the 1996 Pakistan-India-Lanka Committee for the World Cup for its poor outfield. Former president Asif Ali Zardari along with Zaheer Abbas and others also visited it to see its conditions for themselves.

The broken stands

Just before coinciding retirement from cricket with World Cup in February 1992, Imran Khan led Pakistan in his last match at this ground (perhaps the last of his career, too, because then he left for the World Cup) against Sri Lanka to beat them on Jan 15, 1992. On the night of the match he along with Pakistan and the visiting Sri Lanka squads attended a fund raising show for his cancer hospital in the local circuit house. “I have my best bowling figures here at the Niaz Stadium, which is 6/35 against India in an innings,” Khan had once told this reporter at the beginning of his political career.

Afterwards, Saeed Anwar captained Pakistan to bag a five-wicket win over the Sachin Tendulkar-led India on Sept 28, 1997 in his last ODI. West Indies under Courtney Walsh as skipper were scheduled to take on Habib Bank in a three-day match on Nov 24-26 in 1997 but the match was abandoned for poor sub-standard accommodation facilities. An agreed one-dayer on Nov 26, 1997 could not be played for rain and seepage on the pitch as covers were inadequate.

A stadium begging for immediate attention

The last ODI was organised here in February 2008 when Shoaib Malik’s boys beat Zimbabwe with Shahid Afridi featuring, too. It was largely due to International Cricket Council’s conditions which have made availability of a five-star hotel and small distance between hotel and venue a prerequisite for the host city of a cricket match. Hyderabad is a 150-minute drive away from Karachi and it doesn’t have a five-star hotel either.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, May 24th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play