Gaddafi Stadium – Lahore

The Gaddafi Stadium is one of the finest cricket stadiums in Pakistan, and is scheduled to host a semifinal during the 2011 Cricket World Cup. Opened in 1959, the Gadaffi Stadium was known as the Lahore Stadium before being renamed in honour of Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi in 1974.

The Gadaffi Stadium is the home of the Lahore cricket team. The venue was refurbished for the 1996 Cricket World Cup, and tends to host Pakistan’s most important cricket matches. Nayyar Ali Dada was the architect who designed the stadium, which has a distinctive façade that embraces Mogul hand laid brickwork and arch styles.

Stadium Specifications

The Gaddafi Stadium provides seating for 62 500 spectators. Unlike many venues on the subcontinent, the stadium offers plastic bucket seats rather than concrete benches, and also offers spectators access to a variety of shops and boutiques. The stadium was the first in Pakistan to be equipped with floodlights.

The Gaddafi Stadium pitch is known to be exceptionally friendly to batsmen, with high scores and drawn tests the norm at the ground. The stadium features one of the largest outfields in international cricket, which encourages stylish stroke-play rather than big hitting. Innings totals in One Day International matches at the ground frequently exceed 300 runs.

Famous Moments:

• In 1974 the Lahore Stadium was named after Colonel Gaddafi in honour of his rigorous defence of Pakistan’s right to develop nuclear weapons.
• In 1976 Javed Miandad and Asif Iqbal set a record 5th wicket stand of 281 during a match against New Zealand.
• The Gaddafi Stadium hosted the final of the Cricket World Cup in 1996, at which Sri Lanka defeated Australia to win their first World Cup title.
• In 1999 Wasim Akram became the first Pakistani player to claim a hat trick at the ground during a match against Sri Lanka.