Gaddafi Stadium

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. Following the ground's renovation for the 1996 Cricket World Cup. It is the largest field hockey stadium in world with the capacity of 45,000 spectators. It hosted the 1990 Hockey World Cup Final, where the hosts were defeated 3-1 by the Netherlands.

Ground history

Originally Lahore Stadium, the facility was renamed in 1974 in honour of Libyan leader Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi following a speech he gave at an Organisation of the Islamic Conference meeting in favour of Pakistan's right to pursue nuclear weapons. 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.

Cricket history

Three hat-tricks have been taken at the stadium, by Peter Petherick of New Zealand against Pakistan, October 9, 1976, Wasim Akram of......
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