Patna: The state government will help the Bihar Cricket Association (BCA) renovate Moin-ul-Haq Stadium in the city.

With the recent Supreme Court directive to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to allow Bihar to play Ranji trophy and other domestic cricket tournaments, the state government has decided to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the BCA to spruce-up Bihar's oldest stadium, deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi said on Tuesday on the sidelines of the four-day Bihar Eklavya sports tournament at Patliputra Sports Complex.

Built in 1969m Moin-ul-Haq Stadium has been languishing due to lack of maintenance. It has hosted only two international matches, the last being the Kenya-Zimbabwe World Cup match in February 1996.

After the apex court order, the state's warring cricket associations have also decided to bury the hatchet. The Cricket Association of Bihar (CAB) led by Aditya Verma, which once charged the BCA with "misappropriation" of Rs 50 lakh given by the BCCI for development of cricket in the state, is ready to work with the BCA.

"For the development of cricket and promotion of the game in the state, I am ready to work with the BCA so that players of the state get an opportunity to play Ranji matches and other domestic cricket tournaments," Verma said on Tuesday.

He said he will urge BCA general secretary Ravi Shankar Prasad Singh to talk to the BCCI for starting cricket tournaments in the state.

The CAB, which has associations in all 38 districts of Bihar and organises tournaments at regular intervals across the state, has promised to to extend full support to the BCA and plans to meet chief minister Nitish Kumar to urge him to provide funds for the promotion of cricket in the state. The BCA too has decided to start selection trials of players. From January 21 to 29, the BCA will host an Under-23 zonal cricket tournament in which teams from Bihar and the north-east states will participate. From February, the BCA will also organise inter-district tournaments.