MIRPUR  - The Inter-district Twenty20 Tournament will roll into action from April 9 here at the Quaid-e-Azam Mirpur International Cricket Stadium.
In all, 64 registered cricket clubs from all the three districts of Mirpur division will participate in the event which is being hosted by AJK Sports Department with the coordination of AJK Cricket Association.
AJK Minister for Sports M Salim Butt said this while addressing the news conference at Kashmir Press Club here late Wednesday. He was flanked by AJK Cricket Association President Nasir Mahmood Butt, City Administrator Ghulam Rasool Awami, all the three presidents of their respective factions and local central traders organisations including Suhail Shujah Mujahid, Asif Dar, Ch M Naeem and secretary of the Traders Organisation (Sohail Group) Raja Khalid Mahmood, besides other office-bearers and local lads belonging to various cricket clubs.  The Sports Minister said: “Following the rising popularity of T20 cricket at national and international level, we have decided to encourage our youth to take part in healthy activities among them and also revive the sports activities in the world-class Mirpur Cricket Stadium which was lying at the mercy of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) since it took over its control from the Mirpur Development Authority (MDA) for the past many years.”
Salim added that not a single event of cricket of the national or regional significance was hosted by the PCB since it took over the control of this stadium of international class having the seating capacity of over 25,000 with four pavilions.
He also pointed out that cricket experts had already described the Mirpur International Cricket Stadium - the third largest stadium in Pakistan next to the National Stadium Karachi and Gaddafi Stadium Lahore as long as it’s seating capacity and requisite infrastructure and facilities were concerned. “The stadium has been giving a deserted look at present following lack of interest in its maintenance by the PCB.” He agreed to the idea of shifting back of the stadium into the control of the MDA or the AJK Sports Department to ensure its usage for cricket events of regional, national and international interests. "The AJK government was going to get back the control of the stadium from the PCB,” he revealed.  Elaborating the schedule of the T20 event, the Sports Minister said that the whole event would last for about two weeks, which would also prove to be a source of attractive festival and entertainment to the local population especially the cricket fans and the rising local talent.
He sought the cooperation of the local media, business groups and other segments of the society including the sports lovers to make the tournament complete success through ensuring their maximum participation to witness the matches. To a query, he replied: “The AJK Sports Ministry is moving to attain the regional status to Azad Jammu & Kashmir from the PCB similar to 13 other regions from across the country under the spirit to ensure the sovereign participation of AJK as independent region in the national and international level cricket events through the PCB. At present AJK Cricket Association is clubbed with Rawalpindi/Islamabad region,” he concluded.