PCB honors Sana Mir, Kiran Baluch, names stands after them at Quetta Stadium

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is set to honor former Women’s Test cricketer Kiran Baluch and former skipper Sana Mir by having enclosures at the Bugti Stadium in Quetta named after them. From a list of 10, additional players who will have their names on enclosures at the stadium are Misbah-ul-Haq, Shahid Afridi, and Younis Khan, all of whom have led the national side previously.

For the first time in Pakistan, stands at a stadium will have the names of female cricket players. The remaining five players- Mohammad Yousuf, Saeed Ajmal, Saqlain Mushtaq, Shoaib Khan, and Shoaib Malik- complete the list of the players who will receive this honor. Notably, Shoaib Khan is the only male international player to have represented the nation from Balochistan province.

“The contributions of these 10 cricketers are meritorious and it is important that we recognise their achievements and accomplishments by naming Bugti Stadium stands in their names. This will be PCB’s small token of appreciation to these players, which will also help in creating awareness about Pakistan stars and game development in the Balochistan province. These 10 cricketers are household names and, admired and followed by all generations of cricket lovers,” said Najam Sethi, chairman of the PCB Management Committee.

Sethi also said that the goal of naming the stands after women cricketers was to encourage girls in the area to take up the sport and significantly boost its popularity.

“The inclusion of Kiran Baluch and Sana Mir reflects the PCB’s vision and endeavours for women’s empowerment and attracting young girls to take up this great game and represent their country at the international stage. I am sure we will get to see more girls taking up this sport in Balochistan and the PCB will leave no stone unturned to develop the women’s game in this region,” he added.

The ODI contest between Pakistan and Zimbabwe back in 1996 remains to be the only international game played at the Bugti Stadium. However, it will host a PSL exhibition match on February 5 and has been flagged as a prospective location for the PSL the following year, allowing Quetta Gladiators to play their home matches.

Quetta and Peshawar to be included in PSL's list from next year

While PCB chair Najam Sethi had earlier mentioned Quetta making the list of PSL sites for the first time for the 2023 edition, but the city did not make it to the final list of fixtures. The PCB then stated that logistical issues had caused an alteration in the schedule but it would be added as a host along with Peshawar for the following year.

The stadium is owned by the local government, but it was given to the PCB in 2001 as part of a deal that the board would take care of upkeeping and renovations to the facility. There are two large built-up stands, two pavilions, and open stands on the north and south sides of the arena.

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