Night cricket in Hyderabad faces crackdown over power theft

Youth complain of dearth of sports grounds in the city

HYDERABAD: Prompted by the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco) and complaints of citizens, the Hyderabad police have launched a crackdown against cricketers who play night tournaments in Ramazan. Hyderabad SSP Irfan Baloch has directed all SHOs to confiscate lighting equipment being used during night matches and arrest the young cricketers in case they resist.

"Cricketers playing at night rob electricity," Hesco Spokesperson Sadiq Kubar said. According to him, organisers of night matches arrange lighting by hooking illegal connections to transformers, which, besides being theft, also results in fluctuation in the power supply. "The Hesco administration appealed to SSP Baloch to order crackdown against cricket matches at night," said the spokesperson, adding that pole-mounted transformers (PMT) in many areas have burnt because of the power theft.

A police official told The Express Tribune that the crackdown started on Wednesday night within the limits of Fort police station. The policemen removed and confiscated the lighting and sound system from two separate night tournaments being played in the area, he added.



Night cricket in Hyderabad

The cricket enthusiasts, bereft of the opportunity of playing in the playgrounds, eagerly await the month of Ramazan to arrange night tournaments. The tradition in the city has continued for the last four decades.

"The trend took off soon after the first day-and-night cricket match in 1977, which was organised in Melbourne by Kerry Packer's television network, World Series Cricket," recalled Hyderabad District Cricket Association President Shakeel Qureshi. Since then, the streets of Hyderabad like other cities have seen the night matches played by looping hooks on electricity poles and wires to arrange lighting, he added.

According to Qureshi, the city of around three million people has only six cricket grounds, three of which are paid facilities. The grounds that charge fee include Afzal Cricket Ground, Government Degree College Ground and Naeem Siddiqui Ground in Latifabad.



They charge between Rs3,000 and Rs5,000 per night, in addition to the fuel charges for generators, which can be as high as Rs3,000 per hour. "We ended up paying over Rs100,000 for six nights at Afzal ground," said Ehsan Moeed Shaikh of Jamaat-e-Islami's youth wing, which organised an inter-district tournament last month at Afzal ground.

Night cricket is also played at the Qasimabad Sports Complex, Mehran Cricket Ground in Paretabad and at Kali Mori College Ground. However, these grounds do not offer lighting and organisers have to arrange it on their own. Moreover, the Sindh Sports Board is reportedly not allowing night cricket at the Qasimabad Sports Complex this year.

No lights at Niaz Stadium

According to an official of the Sindh Sports Board who requested anonymity, the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) governing board in 2012 had approved installation of flood lights at Hyderabad's Niaz Cricket Stadium. Five years have lapsed after the approval but the stadium, which in the past hosted international one-day and test matches, is yet to be equipped with these lights.



The 1,000th test match, 12 unbeaten victories of Pakistan in test and ODI matches, first ODI hat-trick by Pakistani bowler Jalauddin and Javed Miandad's highest test score of 280 runs are some of the records the stadium boasts. It also hosted the inaugural match of the 1987 Cricket World Cup played between Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

In July, 2007, the district local government handed over Niaz stadium to the PCB under a 30-year extendable lease. The former PCB's chairperson Zaka Ashraf had assured then that the stadium would be developed to meet international standards. However, that promise has yet to materialise.