Gaddafi Stadium 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 Cup when it hosted the final. It is also the largest cricket stadium in Pakistan with a capacity of 60,400 spectators.[1] It is also the fifth largest cricket stadium in the world. It hosted the 1990 Hockey World Cup Final, where the hosts were defeated 3–1 by the Netherlands.
Originally Lahore Stadium, the facility was renamed in 1974 in honour of the former Libyan leader Colonel Muammar 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 the new government in
Libya. The Punjab Olympic Association
made a similar request in late October 2011 to the provincial chief
minister, "I don't think his profile is inspirational enough to link
with our cricket stadium's identity." As of April 2012, however, it does not appear that the stadium's name will be changed after all.[4]
Cricket history
Three hat-tricks have been taken at the stadium, by Peter Petherick of New Zealand against Pakistan, 9 October 1976, Wasim Akram of Pakistan against Sri Lanka, 6 March 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.
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, this event
marked the end of international cricket in Pakistan. Only neighbouring Afghanistan,
which is facing its own Taliban insurgency, has visited the country in
the interim, playing a short one-day series in 2011 and a Twenty20
against second-string team Pakistan A on 15 November 2014. (unofficial) [5] On 10 December 2014 Kenyan cricket team arrived in Lahore amid tight security, to play unofficial five one-day matches, becoming the first non-Asian visitors to militancy-wracked Pakistan for more than five years.
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, 25 June 2008.
- Lowest team total: 75, by Pakistan against Sri Lanka, 22 January 2009.
- Highest individual score: 139*, by Ijaz Ahmed against India, 2 October 1997.
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