Gaddafi Stadium
City: Lahore (Punjab)
Constructed: 1959
First Test Match: 1959 (Pakistan vs. Australia)
Original Name: Lahore Stadium. Changed to Gaddafi Stadium in 1974.
Seating Capacity: 27,000
Home Ground of Lahore Qalandars; Lahore Eagles; Lahore Lions.
• The headquarters of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and cricket’s main training academy in the country are both situated at Gaddafi Stadium.
• A Test match here against England was affected by rioting in 1968. In 1977 another Test (also against England) witnessed a riot between police and spectators.
• Three matches were held at Gaddafi Stadium during the 1987 Cricket World Cup in India and Pakistan. This included one of the tournament’s semi-finals.
• The stadium was expanded and renovated just before the 1996 Cricket World Cup. It held three matches during the event, including the 1996 World Cup final.
• The last Test match to be played in Pakistan was at Gaddafi Stadium in 2009. It was abandoned midway after the bus carrying the visiting Sri Lankan squad was attacked by terrorists.
• Pitches at the stadium have largely been batting-friendly, except during a Test match against India in 1978 and a Test (also against India) in 2004 when green-top tracks were prepared to help fast bowlers.
• The first ODI was played here in 1978 against England.
• The first T-20 international was played here in 2015 against Zimbabwe.
• The final of the second edition of Pakistan’s premier cricket tournament, the Pakistan Super League (PSL) was held at the Gaddafi Stadium in March, 2017.
National Stadium
City: Karachi (Sindh)
Constructed: 1955
First Test Match: 1955 (Pakistan vs. India)
Seating Capacity: 40,000
Home Ground of Karachi Kings; Karachi Dolphins; Karachi Zebras.
• The National Stadium is Pakistan’s largest cricket stadium.
• The first Test match at the stadium was played in 1955 (Pakistan vs. India).
• The first ODI here was played in 1980.
• Pakistan has played more than half of its Tests in Pakistan on this ground. It has lost just two. Once the National Stadium was known as ‘Pakistan’s cricket fortress.’
• The stadium has witnessed some of the most thrilling Tests and ODIs played in Pakistan.
• Despite National Stadium being the most successful home ground of the Pakistan cricket team, and famous for producing some of the most exciting Tests and ODIs, it also has a history of experiencing the largest number of riots and disturbances during matches.
• Tests here were badly affected by rioting in 1968 (against England) and 1969 (against New Zealand). Rioting also took place here during a Test (against West Indies) in 1981 and an ODI (against Australia) in 1983. The ODI was eventually abandoned. Things began to improve from the late 1980s onward.
• The stadium was expanded for the 1987 Cricket World Cup. It hosted three games during the tournament.
• Further improvements were made for the 1996 World Cup. The National Stadium hosted three matches during the 1996 tournament.
• The National Stadium had a matting wicket (jute) between 1955 and late 1950s which helped seam bowling. Its pitches were flat and batting-friendly after matting was removed. They remained this way till the mid-1970s. The groundsmen then began to prepare square turners, but from 1982, the pitches at the stadium became more sporting. They would offer seam and bounce to fast bowlers at the start of the Test, become stable in the middle, and offer some spin at the tail-end of the match. ODI strips remained batting-friendly, though.
• National Stadium is also famous for offering swing to quick bowlers. Experts believe this is due to the steady sea-breeze which often blows across the stadium.
• The last international match to be played here was in 2009.
Iqbal Stadium
City: Faisalabad (Punjab)
Constructed: 1970s
First Test Match: 1978 (Pakistan vs. India)
Seating Capacity: 18,000
Home Ground of Faisalabad Wolves.
• Once known as Layallpur Stadium (the old name of Faisalabad), Iqbal Stadium was renovated and given the status of a frontline cricket stadium in 1978.
• Traditionally, Iqbal Stadium pitches have been flat. Out of the 24 Tests held here, 14 have ended in a draw.
• It was at this stadium that the infamous spat between former England captain Mike Getting, and Pakistani umpire, Shakoor Rana, took place in 1988. The incident became a diplomatic nightmare for the governments of both the countries.
• The last Test held at this stadium was in 2006. The last ODI played here was in 2008.
Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium
City: Rawalpindi/Islamabad
Constructed: 1992
First Test Match: 1993 (Pakistan vs. Zimbabwe)
Seating Capacity: 25,000
Home Ground of Islamabad United; Rawalpindi Rams; Islamabad Leopards.
• Situated in the suburbs of Rawalpindi and very close to Pakistan’s capital city, Islamabad, the stadium first emerged as a Test venue in 1993.
• It was a busy venue during the 1996 Cricket World Cup.
• It was a regular Test venue till early 2000s.
• The pitches here have been largely sporting.
• The last Test played here was in 2004.
Arbab Niaz Stadium
City: Peshawar (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)
Constructed: 1984
First Test Match: 1995 (Pakistan vs. Sri Lanka)
Seating Capacity: 20,000
Home Ground of Peshawar Zalmi and Peshawar Panthers.
• Arbab Niaz Stadium emerged as a frontline cricket ground in the early 1980s, but it did not host a Test match till 1995. It was mostly used for ODI games.
• The pitches here have largely aided spinners.
• The last Test played here was in 2003.
Multan Cricket Stadium
City: Multan (Punjab)
Last Test Played Here: 2001 (Pakistan vs. Bangladesh)
Seating Capacity: 35,000
Home Ground of Multan Tigers
• The Multan Cricket Stadium hosted its first Test in 1981 and last in 2006.
• The pitch here has traditionally aided seam bowlers.
• During a Pakistan-West Indies Test here in 1981, West Indian fast bowler, Sylvester Clarke, hurled a brick in the stands at a spectator who was throwing oranges at him. The brick hit the spectator on the head and he was hospitalised.
• Pakistan downed a strong England side here in 2005 after England had defeated Australia in that year’s Ashes series.
Jinnah Stadium Sialkot
City: Sialkot (Punjab)
Constructed: 1920s.
First Test Match: 1985 (Pakistan vs. Sri Lanka)
Seating Capacity: 18,000
Home Ground of Sialkot Stallions
• This stadium was first constructed in the 1920s by the British. In the 1950s it was named Jinnah Park. In 1979 it was upgraded and renamed Jinnah Stadium.
• The first Test here was played in 1985 and the last in 1995.
• Pakistan played its first ever ODI at home on this ground in 1976. It was against New Zealand. It was also New Zealand’s first ODI against Pakistan.
• Jinnah Stadium is known for its green-top pitches that help fast bowlers.
• A 1984 Pakistan-India ODI here was stopped midway and abandoned after news of the assassination of the then Indian PM, Indira Gandhi, reached the ground. India were batting.
Niaz Stadium
City: Hyderabad (Sindh)
Constructed: 1962.
First Test Match: 1973 (Pakistan vs. England)
Seating Capacity: 15,000
Home Ground of Hyderabad Hawks
• The world’s 1000th Test match was played at Niaz Stadium (Pakistan vs. New Zealand) in 1984.
• Swing bowler, Jalaluddin, took the first hat-trick for Pakistan in ODIs. He did it during an ODI against Australia in 1983 at Niaz Stadium.
• The last time a Test was played here was in 1984, even though Niaz Stadium continued to host ODIs till 2008.
• The Niaz Stadium pitch has traditionally been placid and batting-friendly.
Gujranwala Jinnah Stadium
City: Gujranwala (Punjab)
First Test Match: 1991 (Pakistan vs. Sri Lanka)
Seating Capacity: 20,000
• The first (and only) Test match held here was in 1991.
• The last ODI played at the stadium was in 2000.
• One match was held here during the 1987 Cricket World Cup (West Indies vs. England).
• The current World number one umpire, Pakistan’s Aleem Dar, made his international umpiring debut at this stadium during a Pakistan-Sri Lanka ODI in 2000.
Sheikhupura Stadium
City: Sheikhupura (Punjab)
Construction: 1995
First Test Match: 1996 (Pakistan vs. Zimbabwe)
Seating Capacity: 15,000
• The Stadium has hosted two Tests and two ODIs.
Zaffar Ali Stadium
City: Sahiwal (Punjab)
Construction: 1955
Seating Capacity: 35,000
• Only two ODIs have been held at this stadium. One (against England) in 1977; and the other (against India) in 1978.
• The ground is best known for the ODI match which India voluntarily forfeited to Pakistan in 1978 when Pakistan fast bowlers, Sarfaraz Nawaz and Imran Khan, began bowling bouncers hurled specifically to injure the batsman. There were no laws against such bowling in ODIs in those days.
Ayub National Stadium
City: Quetta (Balochistan)
Seating Capacity: 20,000
Home Ground of Quetta Gladiators and Quetta Bears.
• Though just two ODIs (and no Tests) have been played here, Ayub Stadium is best known for holding the first-ever ODI between Pakistan and India (1978).
Bagh-e-Jinnah
City: Lahore
Constructed: 1885
Capacity: 8,000
First Test: 1954 (Pakistan vs. India)
• Bagh-e-Jinnah is located within Lahore’s vast Lawrence Garden. It was built by the British.
• It was Pakistan’s first international cricket venue.
• It stopped being a Test venue after the construction of Gaddafi Stadium in 1959.
• It is now mostly used for club cricket games.
• It has Pakistan’s only cricket museum.
DHA Cricket Stadium
City: Karachi
Capacity: 8,000
First (and only) Test: 1993 (Pakistan vs. Zimbabwe)
