A destination unto itself
A world record holder, the iconic UAE ground has witnessed quite a few remarkable matches
Watching the live match between MI and CSK on 23rd October in the iconic Sharjah Cricket Stadium brought back a flood of memories.
The Sharjah Stadium, constructed by local cricketing patron Abdul Rahman Bukhatir in the early 1980s, has witnessed some of the most iconic matches in the history of cricket. My regular visits to the stadium started from the mid- 1980s, my brother and I would go and cheer for the Indian cricket team in the matches against Pakistan, which was a pretty strong team at that time leaving us disheartened quite a few times. Nonetheless, watching the matches sitting in the Sharjah stadium is a unique experience in itself. The stadium has a history of creating records like hosting the maximum number of matches.
The uniqueness of the Sharjah Stadium is the way it is built, every fan watching the matches experiences an unbeatable view of the on ground action.
Sharjah Cricket Stadium holds a Guinness book world record of hosting 264 international matches. This includes nine Tests, 241 ODIs and 14 T20Is. It is third on the list of grounds that hosted the most international matches. For a region which doesn’t have a strong cricketing culture, it is an outstanding achievement.
I cannot forget the Desert Storm in 1998, which blew away the Australians. One of the most remarkable knocks of Sachin Tendulkar’s illustrious career was at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Neither can I forget the last ball six by Javed Miandad against India in the final of Austral- Asia Cup in 1986. As true Indian fan, another significant match for me was the Rothmans Four- Nations Cup in 1985, where India beat Pakistan despite setting a very low total of 125.
Being a cricket aficionado, watching all these matches live has been a different and a special experience altogether for me. What deepened my connection was having my own corporate team Danube Lions winning the prestigious Bukhatir League with Pak players like Yasir Shah, Asad Shafiq, Fakkar Zaman, Abid Ali and local hero Rohan Mustafa were a part of our team which played at the Sharjah Stadium. The recent revamping of the stadium and its amenities has only enhanced the experience for the players and the fans alike. And I can dare say watching a match in Sharjah is like watching a blockbuster movie and it still gives goose bumps which I have never experienced anywhere else. ( The writer is pictured here with his son Sahil at the Sharjah Stadium.)
Lords might be the home for cricket but the iconic Sharjah Stadium is the home for the common man who can live his passion for Cricket to the fullest.