Mohali: This might be the last time an India-Australia test series is ever held at the Mohali cricket stadium, according to the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA).
Though Mohali is one of the finest grounds in India and was built only in 1993, it’s located in a residential area with virtually no parking spaces for visitors. Matches here are a nightmare for residents because of the traffic which regularly brings the roads to a standstill. Some even have to go through security checks on their way to and from work each day.
As a result, the PCA has decided to build a new state-of-the-art venue in Mullanpur, on the outskirts of Chandigarh on a 42-acre plot. “Mohali is one of the best stadiums, but we have decided to make a new one with all modern facilities,” remarked IS Bindra, President of the PCA.
The venue where the Mohali stadium now stands used to be a swamp with deep ravines. However the land has been completely transformed in recent years.
The PCA has proposed that the government buy the Mohali stadium, with the plan that part of the money could be channelled back into the project.
Bindra, who announced plans to retire from cricket administration soon, says that he’ll only do so in 2012 after the new stadium has been completed.
