Situated in the centre of the
Lahore metropolitan area is the Gaddafi Stadium, previously known as Lahore
Stadium. It was originally designed in 1959 by the Russian-born Pakistani
architect, Nasreddin Murat Khan, who is also famously known for designing the
National Monument (Minar-e-Pakistan) in Iqbal Park, Lahore.
Gaddafi Stadium is the second
largest sports stadium in Pakistan, and fifth largest overall. The stadium can
hold up to 60,000 spectators depending on the arrangement of the seating, and
hosts important sporting events. There are many things to do in Lahore so
before you set off on your venture to this area make sure you know where
Gaddafi Stadium is located!
The Gaddafi Stadium is one of the
most iconic stadiums in Asia and it is obvious why, with its unique look and
the grandeur that surrounds it. It is located in the heart of Lahore next to
the famous Qaddafi Railway Station.
Currently, the stadium is hosting
the third test match series between Pakistan and Australia.
A Guide to Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore: A blog explaining the history and directions to the stadium
How the Stadium Got Its Name
In 1974, the Lahore Stadium
hosted the second summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, where the
Libyan leader Colonel Muhammad Gadaffi addressed the summit. In his honour, the
stadium was renamed to Gaddafi Stadium (or the colloquial Qazaffi Stadium).
Renovation of the Gaddafi Stadium
The 1996 Cricket World Cup
brought the next milestone for the stadium: Pakistan was to host 16 matches of
the tournament, 4 of which were to be played in Gaddafi Stadium.
Architect Nayyar Ali Dada, a
graduate of the National College of Arts, supervised the renovation of the
stadium. He added a cultural touch by utilising the red hand-laid bricks and
arches of the Mughal architecture.
The removal of plastic seats, and
instalment of concrete benches, modern facilities for media coverage and
floodlights with backup generators made the stadium more accessible.
Additionally, there was a new pressroom with a seating capacity of 400 people,
along with 30 hospitality rooms.
Other additions to the stadium
were team chambers, a warm-up area, and gym facilities. Shops and offices
replaced the lower portion of the stands.
The stadium can now seat 27,000 spectators, and the pitch has been termed as a batting-friendly pitch.
Route to the Stadium
Map of the Route to Gaddafi
Stadium
Gaddafi Stadium is fairly easy to
spot with its red brick boundary walls and prime location in Gulberg 3, where
there are a number of sports academies and stadiums for cricket, football,
hockey, tennis, and more.
Gaddafi Stadium is built on Hafeez Kardar Road, which is easily accessible via Ferozepur Road. The National Hockey Stadium and Punjab Athletics Stadium are directly opposite it, while the Punjab International Swimming Complex, Quaid-e-Azam International Cycling Velodrome, Punjab Institute of Language, Art & Culture, Alhamra Open Air Theatre, Nishtar Park Sports Complex, and National Cricket Academy are among the prominent landmarks surrounding the stadium.
Records Made in the Stadium
Teams have set up records in all
three cricket formats in the stadium. Listed below are some of the biggest
cricket highlights:
Test Cricket
Inzamam-ul-Haq set the record for
highest individual score at the Gadaffi Stadium. He scored a mammoth 329
against New Zealand in 2002.
Pakistan holds a record for
highest team total, when the team made 699 against India in 1989.
New Zealand holds the record for
the lowest team score of 73, which they made against Pakistan in 2002.
One Day International
Ijaz Ahmed holds the record of
longest individual score in the stadium, with an innings of 139* in 1997
against India.
In 2015, Pakistan played an
innings of 376 against Zimbabwe and set the record for the highest team total
on the ground.
Pakistan also holds the record
for the lowest team total in the one-day international format when the team
scored 75 in 2009.
T20 International
In the T20 format, Ahmed Shehzad
earned the title for the highest individual scorer, while playing against World
XI in 2017.
Pakistan holds the record for the
highest team total (197) in a match played against World XI in 2017.
On the other hand, Sri Lanka
played the lowest team total with a score of 144 against Pakistan in 2017.
The Stadium in Highlights
Peter Petherick of New Zealand
scored a hat-trick against Pakistan in 1976, Wasim Akram of Pakistan scored a
hat-trick against Sri Lanka in 1999, and Mohammad Sami of Pakistan scored a
hat-trick against Sri Lanka in 1999.
On the field, Pakistan has had
some memorable moments, including a 281-run fifth-wicket stand between Javed
Miandad and Asif Iqbal against New Zealand in 1976, and an innings and 324-run
win against New Zealand in 2002.
In 2009, armed militants attacked
the Sri Lankan team’s convoy at Liberty Roundabout near Gaddafi Stadium. This
was during the second test match of the 2008–09 Sri Lanka tour of Pakistan. The
Sri Lankan team was airlifted from the stadium to a nearby air base. They
returned to Sri Lanka, effectively ending international cricket in Pakistan.
In 2015, the Zimbabwe cricket
team became the first Full Member nation (of the ICC) to tour Pakistan since 2009.
The stadium hosted the final of the 2017 Pakistan Super League, and Pakistan
easily won both the ODI and T20I series.
In August 2017, the PCB and the ICC began working together to improve international cricket in Pakistan. With that, PCB planned a World XI tour to Pakistan for three T20Is under heavy security.
Gaddafi Stadium Enclosures
There are 12 enclosures named as
follows:
Intikhab Alam Enclosure
Iqbal Qasim Enclosure
Brothers Enclosure
Nasimul Ghani Enclosure
Wasim Bari Enclosure
Majid Khan Enclosure
Waqar Hasan Enclosure
Imran Khan Enclosure
Wasim Akram Enclosure
Zaheer Abbas Enclosure
Fazal Mahmood Enclosure
Hanif Mohammad Enclosure
Gaddafi Stadium welcomes peoples
from different countries or cities during test, one day and T20 matches. It is
a to-be destination for Cricket Fans from Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab,
and Baluchistan.
Pakistan Super League Host
The Pakistan Super League (PSL)
is a professional Twenty20 cricket tournament contested by six teams from
different cities of Pakistan. In September 2015, the Pakistan Cricket Board
(PCB) officially announced the launch of the PSL which is a single entity with
each franchise owned and controlled by investors. The current teams for PSL 2022
are:
Islamabad United
Karachi Kings
Lahore Qalandars
Multan Sultans
Peshawar Zalmi
Quetta Gladiators
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