Gaddafi Stadiumis a
cricketCricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
ground in
LahoreLahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
,
PakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. It was designed by Daghestani-born architect and engineer Nasreddin Murat-Khan who also designed Lahore's
Minar-e-PakistanMinar-e-Pakistan is a tall minaret in Iqbal Park Lahore, built in commemoration of the Lahore Resolution. The minaret reflects a blend of Mughal and modern architecture, and is constructed on the site where on March 23, 1940, seven years before the formation of Pakistan, the Muslim League passed...
and constructed by Mian Abdul Khaliq and Company in 1959. Following the ground's renovation for the
1996 Cricket World CupThe 1996 Cricket World Cup, also called the Wills World Cup after its official sponsors, was the sixth edition of the tournament organized by the International Cricket Council . It was the second World Cup to be hosted by Pakistan and India, and for the first time by Sri Lanka...
. It is also the largest cricket stadium in Pakistan with a capacity of 60,000 spectators. It hosted the 1990
Hockey World CupThe Hockey World Cup is an international field hockey competition organised by the International Hockey Federation . The tournament was started in 1971...
Final, where the
hostsThe Pakistan National Field Hockey Team also known as the Green Shirts represent the Pakistan Hockey Federation in international field hockey competitions. Field Hockey is the national sport of Pakistan...
were defeated 3–1 by the
NetherlandsThe Netherlands national field hockey team is the national team of the Netherlands that participates in international field hockey matches and tournaments...
.
Ground history
Originally
Lahore Stadium, the facility was renamed in 1974 in honour of the late
Libyan leader Colonel Muammar al-GaddafiMuammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi or "September 1942" 20 October 2011), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi or Colonel Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.He seized power in a...
following a speech he gave at the 2nd
Organisation of the Islamic ConferenceThe Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Upon the groups's renaming, some sources provided the English-language translation "Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation", but and have since indicated the preferred English translation omits the "the". is an international organisation consisting of 57...
meeting in
Lahore in favour of Pakistan's right to pursue nuclear weapons. The stadium houses the headquarters of the
Pakistan Cricket BoardThe Pakistan Cricket Board is a sporting organization that is responsible for governing all professional cricket including Test cricket and One Day International matches played in Pakistan...
.
In 1995–96, the Gaddafi Stadium was renovated by architect
Nayyar Ali DadaNayyar Ali Dada is an architect, who is renowned in Pakistan.-Early life and Education:Born Nayyar Ali Zaidi, he was given his commonly recognized last name by a teacher for his painting and drawing skills...
for the
1996 Cricket World CupThe 1996 Cricket World Cup, also called the Wills World Cup after its official sponsors, was the sixth edition of the tournament organized by the International Cricket Council . It was the second World Cup to be hosted by Pakistan and India, and for the first time by Sri Lanka...
. Dada's redesign was done in the
Mughal styleMughal architecture, an amalgam of Islamic, Persian, Turkish and Indian architecture, is the distinctive style developed by the Mughals in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries in what is now India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. It is symmetrical and decorative in style.The Mughal dynasty was...
, 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
PakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
to be equipped with modern floodlights having their own standby power generators.
On 23 October 2011 Talk went down in PCB regards changing the name of the stadium due to 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
CricinfoESPNcricinfo is believed to be the largest cricket-related website on the World Wide Web. Content includes news,articles, live scorecards,live text commentary and a comprehensive and searchable database called 'StatsGuru', of historical matches and players from the 18th century to the present...
:
I don’t think his profile is inspirational enough to link with our cricket stadium’s identity.
Cricket history
Three hat-tricks have been taken at the stadium, by
Peter PetherickPeter James Petherick is a former off-spinner who represented New Zealand in cricket. He is one of two New Zealand bowlers to achieve a hat-trick in Test matches. He is one of only three players, along with Maurice Allom and Damien Fleming, to have taken a hat-trick on Test debut...
of
New ZealandThe New Zealand cricket team, nicknamed the Black Caps, are the national cricket team representing New Zealand. They played their first in 1930 against England in Christchurch, New Zealand, becoming the fifth country to play Test cricket. It took the team until 1955–56 to win a Test, against the...
against Pakistan, October 9, 1976,
Wasim AkramWasim Akram is a former Pakistani left arm fast bowler and left-handed batsman in cricketer and model. who represented the Pakistan national cricket team in Test cricket and One Day International matches....
of Pakistan against Sri Lanka, March 6, 1999 and
Mohammad SamiMohammad Sami is a Pakistani right arm fast bowler in cricket who is currently representing the Pakistan cricket team in Test cricket and Twenty20 cricket matches...
of Pakistan against Sri Lanka,
PakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
have enjoyed some memorable moments on the ground, including a fifth-wicket stand of 281 between
Javed MiandadMohammad Javed Miandad Khan , popularly known as Javed Miandad , is a former Pakistani cricketer who played between 1975 and 1996. He is Pakistan's leading run scorer in Test cricket. He has served as a captain of the Pakistan national cricket team...
and
Asif IqbalAsif Iqbal may refer to:*Asif Iqbal , Pakistani cricketer*Asif Iqbal , former Guantanamo Bay detainee*Asif Iqbal , arrested on suspicion of involvement in a terrorist bombing...
against
New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
in 1976 and an innings and 324 run win against
New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
in 2002 The stadium hosted the final of the 1996 World Cup, which was watched by over 40,000 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, as with the whole of the subcontinent, are more popular; 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-2nd ODI:-3rd ODI:-1st Test:-2nd Test:-Only Tour Match:Pakistan Cricket Board Patron's XI vs Sri Lankans:-References:...
, the Sri Lankan team's convoy was attacked by armed militants at Liberty round about near Gaddafi stadium. Eight Sri Lankan players were injured, including Sri Lankan captain,
Mahela JayawardeneDenagamage Proboth Mahela de Silva Jayawardene , known as Mahela Jayawardene, is the former captain of the Sri Lankan cricket team. He is a specialist batsman who has a Test average of over 50, and an ODI average in the 30s...
. The Sri Lankan team was air-lifted from Gaddafi Stadium to a nearby airbase, from where they were evacuated back to
Sri LankaSri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
.
Test
- Highest team total: 699, by Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
against India in 1989.
- Lowest team total: 73, by New Zealand
The New Zealand cricket team, nicknamed the Black Caps, are the national cricket team representing New Zealand. They played their first in 1930 against England in Christchurch, New Zealand, becoming the fifth country to play Test cricket. It took the team until 1955–56 to win a Test, against the...
against Pakistan in 2002.
- Highest individual score: 329, by Inzamam-ul-Haq
Inzamam-ul-Haq , also known as Inzamam, nicknamed Inzy, is a former Pakistan international cricketer who was national captain between 2003 and 2007. He is a right-handed batsman who has been regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of his era...
against New ZealandThe New Zealand cricket team, nicknamed the Black Caps, are the national cricket team representing New Zealand. They played their first in 1930 against England in Christchurch, New Zealand, becoming the fifth country to play Test cricket. It took the team until 1955–56 to win a Test, against the...
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.
See also
External links