Gaddafi Stadium
| File:Gaddafi Stadium.png | |
| Ground information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan |
| Coordinates | 31°30′48″N 74°20′0″E / 31.51333°N 74.33333°E |
| Establishment | 1959 |
| Capacity | 60,000 |
| Owner | Pakistan Cricket Board |
| Operator | Lahore City Cricket Association |
| Tenants | Lahore cricket teams, Lahore Lions, Lahore Eagles Pakistan International Airlines, Pakistan |
| End names | |
| Pavilion End College End | |
| International information | |
| First Test | 21 Nov – 26 Nov 1959: Pakistan v  Australia |
| Last Test | 1 Mar – 2 Mar 2009: Pakistan v  Sri Lanka |
| First ODI | 13 Jan 1978: Pakistan v  England |
| Last ODI | 24 Jan 2009: Pakistan v Sri Lanka |
| As of 4 March 2009 Source: Cricinfo | |
Gaddafi Stadium (Urdu:قذافی اسٹیڈیم) is a cricket ground in Lahore, Pakistan. It was designed by Daghestani-born architect and engineer Nasreddin Murat-Khan, who also designed Lahore's Minar-e-Pakistan, and constructed by Mian Abdul Khaliq and Company in 1959. The ground was renovated for the 1996 Cricket World Cupwhen it hosted the final. It is also the largest cricket stadium in Pakistan with a capacity of 60,000 spectators.[1] It hosted the 1990 Hockey World Cup Final, where the hosts were defeated 3–1 by the Netherlands.
Ground history
Originally Lahore Stadium, the facility was renamed in 1974 in honour of the former Libyan leader Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi following a speech he gave at the 2nd Organisation of the Islamic Conference meeting in Lahore in favour of Pakistan's right to pursue nuclear weapons.[2] The stadium houses the headquarters of the Pakistan Cricket Board.
In 1995–96, the Gaddafi Stadium was renovated by architect Nayyar Ali Dada for the 1996 Cricket World Cup. Dada's redesign was done in the Mughal style, with red, hand-laid brickwork and arches. Dada also had plastic seating installed in place of the existing concrete benches. The lower portion under the stands was enclosed and converted to shops for boutiques and offices. Gaddafi Stadium was the first in Pakistan to be equipped with modern floodlights having their own standby power generators.[3]
On 23 October 2011 the Pakistan Cricket Board discussed renaming the stadium following the death of Gaddafi, to support NTC and Libya. The Punjab Olympic Association made a similar request in late October 2011 to the provincial chief minister, telling Cricinfo:[4], "I don’t think his profile is inspirational enough to link with our cricket stadium’s identity." As of 2012, however, it does not appear that the stadium's name will be changed after all.[5]
Cricket history
Three hat-tricks have been taken at the stadium, by Peter Petherick of New Zealand against Pakistan, October 9, 1976, Wasim Akram of Pakistan against Sri Lanka, March 6, 1999 and Mohammad Sami of Pakistan against Sri Lanka,
Pakistan has enjoyed some memorable moments on the ground, including a fifth-wicket stand of 281 between Javed Miandad and Asif Iqbal against New Zealand in 1976 and an innings and 324 run win against New Zealand in 2002. The stadium hosted the final of the 1996 World Cup, which was watched by over 60,000 spectators. However, despite the impressive capacity, the ground is often sparsely attended for Test matches, with sometimes as few as 1000 fans turning up. One-day internationals are more popular and crowds in excess of 20,000 are common.
On 3 March 2009, the scheduled third day of second Test of 2008–09 Sri Lanka tour of Pakistan, the Sri Lankan team's convoy was attacked by armed militants at Liberty Roundabout, near Gaddafi stadium. Eight Sri Lankan players were injured, including Sri Lankan captain, Mahela Jayawardene. The Sri Lankan team was air-lifted from Gaddafi Stadium to a nearby airbase, from where they were evacuated back to Sri Lanka.
Records
Test
- Highest team total: 699, by Pakistan against India in 1989.
- Lowest team total: 73, by New Zealand against Pakistan in 2002.
- Highest individual score: 329, by Inzamam-ul-Haq against New Zealand in 2002.
One Day International
- Highest team total: 357/9, by Sri Lanka against Bangladesh, June 25, 2008.
- Lowest team total: 75, by Pakistan against Sri Lanka, January 22, 2009.
- Highest individual score: 139*, by Ijaz Ahmed against India, October 2, 1997.
T20's
- Faisal Bank T20 CUP , October 2010 *
The entire cup was played at the stadium, where the people showed great interest.The final was held between Lahore Lions and Karachi Dolphins which was won by the former.It was attended by a jam-packed crowd with thousands outside the stadium.
See also
- 2009 attack on the Sri Lanka national cricket team
- List of Test cricket grounds
- List of international cricket centuries at Gaddafi Stadium
References
- ^ "Stadiums in Pakistan". World Stadiums. Retrieved 2011-09-05.
- ^ Murtaza Razvi (25 February 2011). "A stadium called Gaddafi". Indian Express. Retrieved 2011-03-24.
- ^ McGlashan, Andrew. "Gaddafi Stadium". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 2011-09-05.
- ^ Farooq, Umar (October 30, 2011). "Gaddafi set for name change?". ESPN. Retrieved November 04, 2011.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ Template:Http://dawn.com/2012/04/17/gaddafi-stadium-prepares-to-end-long-hiatus/
External links
- Cricinfo.com ground profile
- List of all Test matches played at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
- List of all ODI matches played at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
- Google Maps satellite photo of Gaddafi Stadium
- Location Map Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
Template:1987 Cricket World Cup Stadiums Template:1996 Cricket World Cup Stadiums