Since Pakistan’s inception, Lahore has been the main city of the country. Islamabad later became it’s Capital and Karachi has been it’s premier economic hub. Probably that is why the Gaddafi Stadium is the home of Pakistan Cricket ever since the country, as an independent nation, has started playing cricket. Let us have more knowledge about this beautiful stadium of Pakistan.
Gaddafi Stadium – The Home of Pakistan Cricket
Name: Gaddafi Stadium
Location: Gaddafi Road, Lahore, Pakistan
Established in: 1959
Capacity: 62, 250 fans
Owner: Lahore City Cricket Association
Tenants: Pakistan Cricket Board – PCB, Pakistan National Cricket Team, Lahore Cricket Team, Lahore Lions, Lahore Eagles and Pakistan International Airlines.
End Names: Pavilion End and College End
First Test Match: Pakistan Vs Australia from 21st to 26th November 1959
First One Day International: Pakistan Vs England on 13th January 1978
More about Gaddafi Stadium
The Gaddafi Stadium was built as a Lahore Stadium in 1959 by a Daghestan born architect and engineer Nasreddin Murat Khan. He is the same architect who designed the Minar – e – Pakistan in the memory of Pakistan’s father of the Nation Mohammad Ali Jinnah. The Mian Abdul Khaliq and Co. was the constructor of the stadium.
In 1974 when the former President of Libya, Col Muammar Gaddafi came to Pakistan and addressed the 2nd Organization of the Islamic Conference at the Lahore Stadium, the then President of Pakistan Gen Zia – Ul – Haq renamed the stadium as Gaddafi Stadium and since then it is known with this name only. To host the 1996 World Cup final in the stadium, the Gaddafi Stadium went through a renovation and architect Nayyar Ali Dada redesigned the stadium in Mughal style. Instead of concrete benches, new plastic seats were installed. Outside the ground, shops were created for various business activities. Gaddafi Stadium became the first ever Pakistani stadium which was equipped with modern floodlight facilities with own standby power generators.
The Gaddafi Stadium has seen many great cricketing moments like New Zealand bowler Peter Petherick got a hat-trick. Later in 1999 Pakistan’s Wasim Akram and in later Mohammad Sami too got hat-tricks for there teams.
In the 1976 test match between Pakistan and New Zealand, Javed Miandad and Asif Iqbal produced 281 runs partnership for the 5th wicket. The 1996 ICC Cricket World Cup finals were watched by about 60, 000 spectators inside the stadium, despite Pakistan was not involved in it. On 3rd March 2009, the Sri Lankan cricket team was attacked by the terrorists just near the Gaddafi Stadium and many Sri Lankan players got injured in it as well. Later they all were brought to the Gaddafi Stadium and they all had to be airlifted via a helicopter to a safe place.
In 2011, after the assignation of Muammar Gaddafi, there was a proposal to change the name of the stadium before the PCB but there is no further movement in it since then.
To know about other great stadiums, click here.