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The Rs 160 million Multan Cricket Stadium (MCS) could become a white elephant after it was overlooked for the prestigious Patron's Trophy Grade-I first-class competition which begins Friday.

The cash-strapped tournament holds special significance because of the fact that it will be after several years that all the leading cricketers will be appearing in the event after New Zealand 'temporarily' cancelled a scheduled tour to Pakistan because of security fears. But the irony is that Multan, undoubtedly the best centre after Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, will not host any of the 45 matches to be played amongst 10 departments on single league basis.

According to information gathered, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) were keen to allot some matches to the City of Saints. But the local administration refused to release the venue for unexplained reasons on which the PCB has also invested Rs 30million.

Sources further added that the PCB Under-19 Championship Grade-II semi-final between Multan and Sialkot also had to be shifted to Sialkot because the ground was not made available.

Interestingly, the PCB had said during the Asian Test Championship fixture at Multan that it wanted to take possession of the ground on a 40-year lease. Probably, it is because of this reason that it is now a tug-of-war between the PCB and the local authorities.

The local administration probably doesn't realizes that if Multan Cricket Stadium was not utilized, it will turn into another Niaz Stadium (in Hyderabad) which was once a regular centre for international matches but now resembles a stable.

A picturesque venue like Multan deserves to be accommodated and host competitive matches rather than allowing the excellent players rooms, media boxes, lush green outfield and other spectators facilities to rust away.

Needless to say that Multan has tremendous followers of cricket which was evident when spectators thronged the ground to watch even the mostly one-sided Test last month against minnows Bangladesh. By denying the venue a first-class match means depriving the cricket starved followers of the city an opportunity to watch top teams of the country lock horns in battles for honour rather than cash rewards.

As regards the tournament itself, Pakistan Customs will defend the title they won last season after defeating National Bank of Pakistan by four wickets at the Gaddafi Stadium after conceding the first innings lead.

But Customs seems to be the worst sufferer from the step- motherly treatment of the PCB when it had to dispatch its players by train to Sheikhupura where it will face Wapda in the first round match. The PCB, which has miserably failed to sell its premier competition, is in process of abolishing departmental cricket which has produced and looked after budding cricketers.

Sadly, Ramiz Raja, the product of the current departmental structure, is masterminding the transformation. However, Ramiz doesn't have the answer to where these professional cricketers will go when shutters will fall on departments.

United Bank, a former powerhouse of domestic cricket, has already closed its cricket team. With New Zealand not touring Pakistan, all the national players have gone back to their departments which makes this event more appealing and attractive. The additional bonus expected to be is that some more talented players will be unearthed who have either missed the eyes of the selectors or have been deliberately overlooked.

According to the format, there will be 12 points for an outright win while three will be awarded for first innings lead. With each team to play nine league matches, it is difficult to pick a winner. But National Bank and PIA seem to be teams to watch after being the most beneficiary because of New Zealand series cancellation.

First round fixtures:

Sept 21-24: PIA-ABL at Saga ground, Sialkot. (umpires: Athar Zaidi and Ihtishamul Haq); NBP-ADBP at Jinnah Stadium, Gujranwala. (umpires: Zamir Haider and Khalid Mahmood); KRL-Sui Gas at KRL Stadium, Rawalpindi. (umpires: Nazir Junior and Kamran); HBL-PPWD at Bohranwali, Faisalabad. (umpires: Asad Rauf and Amin Abbasi).

© Dawn