Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium is a cricket stadium located in Rawalpindi in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is near to Pir Meher Ali Shah University, Rawalpindi, and Rawalpindi Arts Council, Rawalpindi. The first international match at the stadium was played on 19 January 1992, when Sri Lanka faced Pakistan in an ODI.[2] The stadium hosted its first Test match in 1993, when Zimbabwe were the visitors.[3]
Test cricket returned to Pakistan at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium during the two-match test series against Sri Lanka. The first test match was held from 11–15 December 2019 in Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium is the home ground of Islamabad United and Northern. Before the construction of Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi Club Cricket Ground had been used as a venue for international matches, including one Test match against New Zealand that was held in March 1965.[4]
Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium was a prime spot in the 1995–96 Cricket World Cup. With an eye on the World Cup of 1996, unveiled another new Test venue for the second Test against Zimbabwe in Rawalpindi. Karachi staged Pakistan's first Test match and Rawalpindi Cricket stadium became the country's 14th Test ground. The flood lights were added in late 2001 when the Australians were set to tour the Region. The stadium is just 20 minutes from the capital Islamabad and is the only proper international stadium in the territory.
Revival of cricket in Pakistan
In April 2018, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced that the venue, along with several others in the country, would get a makeover to get them ready for future international matches and fixtures in the Pakistan Super League.[5]
Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Test match
In October 2019, the PCB proposed hosting the two Test matches in Pakistan, instead of the UAE, at venues in Rawalpindi and Karachi.[6] Sri Lanka Cricket said that they were "very positive" with regards to the progress of playing Test cricket in Pakistan.[7] In November 2019, the PCB confirmed the dates and venues for the Test series, with the first test match taking place in Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium from 11 to 15 December.[8] It was the first test match played at this venue after 15 years and first International match after 13 years.[9]
England are waiting to learn if their historic Test series against Pakistan can begin as planned on Thursday.
The first match of the three-Test series in Rawalpindi could be delayed by a day after half of the touring party was struck by illness.
The Test series is England's first in Pakistan in 17 years - they halted tours to the country following a gun attack on the Sri Lanka team in 2009.
A decision on the first day's play is due early on Thursday morning.
The match is scheduled to commence at 05:00 GMT, with a call on whether the first day will go ahead or not likely come no later than two hours before that.
Talks between the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) were held after around 14 players and staff from the touring party were struck with a viral infection.
The options for the first Test are to carry on as planned, delay by a day and continue as a five-day match, or delay a day and play a four-day Test.
If the first Test is delayed and remains five days, that would leave only two free days before the start of the second Test in Multan, which is due to begin on 9 December.
The first day would only be postponed if it is felt that England are not be able to field a competitive team, as would have been the case had the match been due to start on Wednesday.
England's last Test series in Pakistan was a 2-0 defeat in 2005. They have only ever won two Tests here, albeit 18 of the 24 contests between the two sides in this country have ended in draws.
In the time when England have not toured, Pakistan have twice hosted them in the United Arab Emirates, winning both series.
In the aftermath of the attack on the Sri Lanka team, Pakistan went six years without playing any sort of international cricket on home soil.
Zimbabwe were the first team to return for a white-ball series in 2015, with Sri Lanka playing the first Test back in Pakistan in 2019.
As a host of English players took part in the Pakistan Super League, the way was paved for England to tour, but a limited-overs series was called off in 2021 with a month's notice after the New Zealand team received a "specific and credible threat" while in Pakistan.
England did eventually return to play a T20 series in September and October of this year, winning 4-3.
Both then and now they have been afforded a 'presidential' level of security, meaning an armed convoy through closed roads when they travel.
The series takes place against the backdrop of mass flooding that has devastated huge parts of Pakistan and England captain Ben Stokes has pledged his match fees from the tour to the flood appeal charity.
"Coming here is a monumental time for English cricket and for Pakistan as a nation," said Stokes, before becoming one of the players struck down by illness.
"There are things that go on in life that are bigger than sport and I felt compelled just to give something that is bigger than cricket."
A number of England fans and tour groups have made the trip to Pakistan. About 60% of tickets for the 15,000-capacity Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium are thought to have been sold in advance of days one and two. Greater crowds are expected over the weekend.
The match is a swift reuniting of the two teams that contested the T20 World Cup final earlier this month, with England prevailing in Melbourne.
Pakistan are chasing a place in the World Test Championship final at The Oval next summer, currently lying fifth in the table. England, in seventh, are out of contention.
"We are excited about that prospect of playing the final," said Pakistan captain Babar Azam. "This is an important series for that and we have a golden chance to achieve that."
For England it is the first overseas tour under captain Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum. It will provide a stern examination of a swashbuckling style that brought six wins from seven Tests in the summer.
"The most important thing to remember is going out there and showing the intent we did in the summer," said Stokes.
"We don't feel like we want to be held back by the narrative of how Test cricket needs to be played. We're in an era now with English cricket, with myself and Brendon leading the red-ball cricket about how we want to go out and play."
England named their XI on Tuesday, with Lancashire all-rounder Liam Livingstone handed his Test debut and opener Ben Duckett recalled for his first Test in six years.
