Taxila gets cricket stadium

The acts of mourning and remembering our loved ones who have departed for the eternal abode are varied and ever-changing, but what sets some of those deeds apart is their lasting contribution to the society for the better.

A similar gift has been bestowed upon the people of Faisal Town in the outskirts of Taxila by Syed Tanveer Shah, who decided to honour the memory of his late brother Miusam Taimar Akbar—a cricket enthusiast who died at an early age of 28—with an exceptional gesture.

Following Miusam’s sudden demise, his elder brother paid homage to his sibling by establishing a cricket stadium of international standards on 70 kanals of land in Faisal Town.

The stadium consists of a pavilion, a dressing room, training nets for practice, sight screens, comprehensive cricketing equipment, a pitch adhering to international standards, water sprinklers to keep the ground green and floodlights for night matches along with a seating capacity for thousands of spectators.

While talking to The Express Tribune, Tanveer said he believes that efforts for the promotion of cricket across the country should be made at all levels.

He further said that the establishment of the Miusam Cricket Stadium has helped direct the attention of youngsters towards positive and healthy activities.

Tanvir lamented that despite the well-known fact that playing sports actively is a sign of a wholesome society, it is unfortunate that so many localities lack decent ground to play in.

He also cited the increasing usage of internet and other commitments as the reason for the minimal activity in grounds that exist.

The citizen expressed a strong desire to keep the sports grounds populated to ensure that the society flourishes not only in mind but in body and spirit as well.

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Tanvir said that they have formed a cricket academy too, where they occasionally invite cricketers playing at the national level to motivate and ignite the passion of the game among the local youth.

He revealed that fast-bowler Haris Rauf—part of the T20 squad that earned the world’s admiration for their performance in the recently concluded T20 World Cup—also visited Misuam Cricket Stadium and declared himself satisfied with the facilities available in the stadium. According to Tanvir, Rauf also offered his services for any upcoming training camps for players in the vicinity.

Tanvir asserted he made sure that youngsters with potential were provided all the assistance they required to hone their talent on the pitch hoping to represent Pakistan on international grounds one day.

A huge screen was also set up on the grounds of the Misuam Cricket Stadium for youngsters to watch the T20 World Cup semi-final between Pakistan and Australia live. Tanvir reiterated the stadium provides free-of-cost cricket equipment without discrimination to any and all teams that wish to play on the premises.

Young cricketers of Faisal Town told The Express Tribune that the Miusam Cricket Stadium was a dream come true for them, as they neither had a proper ground to play in before nor the means to source equipment of international quality.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 20^th, 2021.