SICS undergoing overhaul
The vicinity of the picturesque Sylhet International Cricket Stadium is currently undergoing an overhaul to add more lustrous facilities to the present venue, which is one of the best in Bangladesh.
Construction of a new outer stadium adjacent to the main building, based in the middle of the Lakkatura tea garden, is nearing completion and given the current rate of progress, the ground is expected to be ready within the next four months.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) began work on the outer ground in 2018 with the expected date of completion being June 2020.
The venue will host National Cricket League and Bangladesh Cricket League matches in addition to first, second and third division matches. Age-level international fixtures could also possibly be played there.
The BCB will also construct an academy in the area for budding cricketers and meanwhile, the game’s local governing body and the Sylhet city corporation have already set in motion their plans to build a school. On top of that, the board is set to afford housing to academy players through a dormitory which could house up to 30 students. A Tk 26 crore budget was allocated for this project.
However, perhaps the most striking aspect of the outer grounds could be lush green galleries on two sides of the venue, where there are no concrete works planned. Other than that, the ground will of course feature the usual amenities such as a media box, dressing rooms a President’s Box and a Hospitality Box.
BCB director Shafiul Alam Chowdhury Nadel is overseeing the construction.
“We always planned to build an outer stadium after the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium,” Shafiul said. “When we entered one of the stadiums in India, we saw that there were two grounds on two sides with the media box in the middle. “So, we borrowed the design idea from there and linked the media boxes with a bridge so that media personnel can go from one building to another without having to go down.”
“The connecting bridge has seating areas on the side of the outer grounds so that journalists can watch a match or a team practicing just by moving to the bridge area,” Shafiul informed.
The outer stadium is set to be a proper ground where budding players can hopefully hone their trade and one day make a mark in Bangladesh cricket.