Sharjah Cricket Stadium

Usage and Developments of Sharjah Cricket Stadium

In 2010, at the behest of local cricketing patron Abdul Rahman Bukhatir, the Sharjah Cricket Stadium became the home ground for the Afghanistan cricket team for One Day International and first-class matches. In 2016, Afghanistan changed their home ground to Greater Noida Sports Complex Ground in Noida, India. The Multan Sultans and the Quetta Gladiators used the Sharjah Cricket Stadium for most of their home games in the most recent PSL season.This is the first GCC LED lit cricket stadium that uses innovative and advanced control systems and DMX Technology .

The new pitch lighting Signify system replaces 392 conventional metal Halide floodlights with 176 LED floodlights, allowing for energy conservation.

The cricket stadium also hosted the inaugural edition of the T10 cricket league, which is a 90-minute cricket league from 14 to 17 December 2017 featuring several international cricket players.

The stadium also hosted the final of the 2018 Blind Cricket World Cup.

The Sharjah stadium was one of the dedicated venues for the 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup.

It has 62 metre boundaries in long on and 58 metre in straight. It has 65 metre boundary in mid wicket.

Test matches

Sharjah cricket stadium is one of the few Test Cricket Grounds at which a Test match has been played not involving a home country participant (and the only one in a non-Test playing country) Sharjah was the venue for four Test matches in 2002. Because of security and safety concerns in Pakistan and its aftermath) the ground was chosen as a neutral venue to host two Test matches between Pakistan and the West Indies in February and two Test matches between Pakistan and Australia in October.

The fifth Test match held at the ground took place in November 2011, as the third Test between Sri Lanka and Pakistan. The other games in the series were played at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi and Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

One Day Internationals

Between 1984 and 2003, the Sharjah ground was the venue for 206 One Day Internationals held as part of commercially sponsored one day tournaments involving three or four international teams. Sharjah was a popular venue attracting good crowds mostly from the South Asian population of the United Arab Emirates. The tournaments were organised by "The Cricketers Benefit Fund Series (CBFS)" which had been established in 1981 by Abdul Rahman Bukhatir, and whose main aim was to honour cricketers of the past and present generations from India and Pakistan, with benefit purses in recognition of their services to the game of cricket. The stadium initially started with a few limited seats and very modest facilities but by 2002 had a 17,000 capacity and floodlights.

Since 2003 the increasingly crowded cricket calendar has precluded the holding of any major international matches at Sharjah although the stadium has been the venue for certain other matches, for example in the 2004 ICC Intercontinental Cup. It has also been used by the Afghanistan national team since 2010. In 2011, the Guinness Book of Records recorded the Sharjah stadium as hosting the greatest number of one-day matches. , 240 ODIs had been played at the ground.

ICC Men's T20 World Cup

The venue hosted 11 group-stage matches during 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup.

Indian Premier League

The UAE has hosted matches in the Indian Premier League, with matches being played on the ground on each occasion. The 2014 season was played in the UAE due to the 2014 Indian general election and parts of both the 2020 and 2021 season were played in the country due to the widespread outbreak of COVID-19 in India.

The Sachin Tendulkar Stand

In April 2023, On Sachin Tendulkar's 50th birthday, the West Stand at the iconic Sharjah Cricket Stadium has been renamed the 'Sachin Tendulkar Stand in a special ceremony in the UAE, honouring the Indian cricket legend.

2024 ICC Women's T20 World Cup

The venue hosted 11 group-stage matches (Semi-final) 2024 ICC Women's T20 World Cup

Records

T20Is

• On 24 November 2013, Samiullah Shinwari took a five wicket haul against Kenya.
• On 25 October 2021, Mujeeb Ur Rahman took a five wicket haul against Scotland.
• On 6 November 2021, Kagiso Rabada took a hat-trick against England in a 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup's super 12 Match.

References

References

1. "Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium, Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates | Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium, Sharjah Cricket Grounds, Match Schedule".
2. [http://www.cricinfo.com/other/content/ground/59392.html#Profile Cricinfo: Sharjah Stadium Profile] {{Webarchive. link. (1 May 2010 , Retrieved 23 August 2010.)
3. (6 April 2020). "This day that year - Sharjah Cricket Stadium hosts its first international match". The National.
4. "IND vs PAK Cricket Scorecard, Final at Sharjah, April 18, 1986".
5. "Javed Miandad and the power of a six".
6. [http://www.cricinfo.com/afghanistan/content/story/449257.html Cricinfo: Sharjah named Afghanistan's new home ground] {{Webarchive. link. (25 May 2010 , Retrieved 23 August 2010.)
7. "Fixtures, Schedule {{!}} T10 Cricket League {{!}} ESPN Cricinfo".
8. "India take on Pakistan in Blind Cricket World Cup final 2018 in Sharjah".
9. "Fixtures, Schedule | Global". ESPN Cricinfo.
10. (21 November 2011). "Sharjah cricket stadium enters Guinness Book of World Records.". Cricket Country.
11. [http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/ground/59392.html?class=2;template=results;type=aggregate Sharjah stadium stats] at espncricinfo.com, March 2019
12. (29 June 2021). "T20 World Cup to take place in UAE and Oman, confirms ICC". SportsTiger.
13. (2023-04-25). "Sharjah stadium stand named after Sachin Tendulkar on his 50th birthday".
14. https://www.icc-cricket.com/tournaments/womens-t20-worldcup/matches
15. (24 November 2013). "Afghanistan qualify, PNG and Scotland stay alive". ESPN Cricinfo.
16. "Mujeeb Ur Rahman impresses as Afghanistan claim T20 World Cup win over Scotland". Belfast Telegraph.
17. "Rassie's heroics, Rabada's hat-trick in vain as Proteas OUT of T20 World Cup".
18. "Gulf International win Rashid Alleem League title".