Afridi Criticizes Poor Conditions at Islamabad’s Diamond Ground

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has voiced his dismay over the deteriorated state of the Diamond Ground in Islamabad, drawing attention to the inadequate maintenance of domestic cricket facilities.

Afridi took to social media platform ‘X’ to share his frustration upon observing the substandard conditions at one of Pakistan’s significant domestic cricket venues.

He highlighted problems such as damaged seating, unhygienic restrooms, and overall neglect, questioning how these conditions impact first-class cricketers, who are essential for the future of Pakistan cricket.

“The conditions at Diamond Ground, Islamabad are shocking. With broken chairs and unclean washrooms, is this how we treat our first-class cricketers, the foundation of our future cricket? If this is the standard, what message does it convey? It’s embarrassing to witness such neglect at the domestic level,” Afridi posted, also tagging PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi.

Notably, the Diamond Ground is among the locations hosting the ongoing 68th edition of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2025-26.

Other prominent grounds include Marghzar Cricket Ground in Islamabad, Shoaib Akhtar Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi, Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, and Imran Khan Stadium in Peshawar.

The initial day of the first round of matches, which included a fixture featuring defending champions Sialkot Region, was entirely cancelled due to persistent rainfall across the venues on Monday.

Continuous heavy rain led to the abandonment of play at all five venues in Abbottabad, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and Peshawar. The four-day tournament’s first round is scheduled from October 6 to 9.

A rematch of last season’s exciting final saw defending champions Sialkot, led by Amad Butt, slated to play against Peshawar.

Additional matches include FATA versus Multan, Faisalabad versus Karachi Blues, Lahore Whites versus Islamabad, and Abbottabad versus Bahawalpur.

Sialkot secured the title last season, narrowly defeating Peshawar by one wicket in a dramatic conclusion at the UBL Sports Complex, Karachi.

The PCB has announced a prize of PKR 7.5 million for the winners of this season’s Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, while the runners-up will receive PKR 4 million.

Furthermore, the Player of the Match in each league game will be awarded PKR 25,000, and the Player of the Final will receive PKR 100,000. The Best Batter, Bowler, Wicketkeeper, and Player of the Tournament will each be awarded PKR 250,000.

Ten teams are participating this season. FATA, Faisalabad, Karachi Blues, and Multan qualified from the Hanif Mohammad Trophy, while Abbottabad, Bahawalpur, Peshawar, Sialkot, Lahore Whites, and Islamabad were among the top-performing teams from the previous edition.