CHICAGO/USA – The Maq Cricket Stadium is nearing completion of its first phase in Hannover Chicago and will be ready for action come early July. In early April there will be an official ceremony commissioning the ground and then on the weekend of July 4, there will be action at the venue.
At the moment most areas of the field are graded, the astroturf is already in place and soon the entire surface will be playable.
Mahammad Qureshi the mastermind behind this project says that cricket in Chicago will never be the same again when this venue is completed. “Chicago needed something like this and from the moment the first ball is bowled at that ground, cricket will never be the same in Chicago again. We have worked long and hard to make this a reality and it fills me with great pride that we can finally have a home for cricket in Chicago.”
Qureshi, known as the ‘Godfather’ of cricket in the United States has been forking out his own money to develop the facility, where three cricket grounds will be built.
“For many years the cricketers of Chicago had nowhere to call home. They had to pack up everything when they finished play their game and then return the next time and build back everything. This was frustrating but the passion for the game made the boys do it. Now we have this facility where they will be able to have proper seating, bathroom facilities, and storage rooms. Cricket in Chicago has arrived and we are going to make it great.”
The first tournament at the venue will be the Maq Open Unity Cup which takes place on the July 4 weekend. At this tournament, all teams from across the United States are welcome to take part. “We want to ensure that the cricket is competitive, so we want the best players to come and take part. Hence the reason that we are opening our arms to teams from all over. We want as many players playing the game, so what the national selectors are ready to choose their team, they have a bigger pool to work with.”
