Eight Azad Maidan pitches to reopen after Metro 3 work

Eight clubs will receive renovated cricket pitches at Azad Maidan on Sunday, nine years after their plots were used for Metro 3 construction.

The pitches will go to RBI, St Xavier’s, Young Friends Union, Young Muslim, Muslim United, Kila Court, Bohra Cricket Club and John Bright. Mumbai Cricket Association curator and maidan coordinator Nadim Memon led the restoration work with Pramod Yadav.

In 2017, the MMRDA took plots used by 16 of the maidan’s 22 clubs for the Metro project. Before construction, Azad Maidan could host 22 games at once; capacity fell to nearly half during the work. Parsee Cyclists, Baronet, John Bright, Bohra Cricketers and Navroz were among the affected clubs.

The MCA will hold a ground-equipment handover and inauguration at the Young Muslim plot at 8.45am on Sunday. MCA president Ajinkya Naik and secretaries Unmesh Khanvilkar and Nilesh Bhosle are expected to attend.

Azad Maidan hosts competitions including the Harris and Giles Shield, Kanga League and Times Shield.