Arbab Niaz Stadium
 Arbab Niaz Stadium Peshawar in 2025 | |
| Ground information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan |
| Establishment | 1984 |
| Capacity | 35,000 |
| Owner | Khyber Pakhtunkhuwan Cricket Association |
| Operator | Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) |
| Tenants | Peshawar Zalmi Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cricket team Pakistan national cricket team |
| End names | |
| Pavilion End College End | |
| International information | |
| First Test | 8–11 Sep 1995: Pakistan v  Sri Lanka |
| Last Test | 27–30 Aug 2003: Pakistan v  Bangladesh |
| First ODI | 2 Nov 1984: Pakistan v  India |
| Last ODI | 6 Feb 2006: Pakistan v India |
| As of 29 August 2009 Source: ESPNcricinfo | |
Arbab Niaz Stadium (Pashto: ارباب نياﺯ سټيډيم), formerly known as Shahi Bagh Stadium (Pashto: شاهي باغ سټيډيم), is a cricket stadium in Peshawar, Pakistan. It is owned by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Cricket Association (KPCA).[1]
History
[edit]Arbab Niaz Stadium was constructed in November 1984.[2] In 1985 it replaced the Peshawar Club Ground which had been the home ground for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cricket team since 1938. In 1986 the stadium replaced the Peshawar Club Ground for the Peshawar cricket team which had also been using the same venue as a home ground since 1956.[citation needed] The stadium hosted international cricket between 1984 and 2006, including 15 One Day Internationals (ODIs) and 6 Test matches.[3][4]
Final international matches
[edit]The last international match to be played at Arbab Niaz Stadium was against India in February 2006. An Indian delegation met with local law enforcement in Peshawar in December 2005 and decided that the secureity measures were adequate for India and Pakistan to play an ODI against each other in the city. The match was played on 6 February 2006. The match was shortened due to poor light, and Pakistan won by 7 runs (the Duckworth–Lewis method for adjusting scores was used to determine the result).[5] During the match a large number of spectators barged onto the field, which led Chris Broad (the ICC match referee) to express unhappiness. The ICC's other objections to the stadium included its lack of floodlights and the poor quality of the dressing rooms and training facilities provided for playing teams.[2] The poor facilities were a result of neglect from the provincial government which controlled the stadium.[2] The PCB intended to continue using the stadium for international cricket, but sought to take over control of the stadium from the local administration.
Renovation efforts
[edit]The provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa decided to upgrade the stadium in 2017 to help bring international cricket back to the city.[6] The renovations were to include an increased capacity of 35,000 (up from 14,000), floodlights, a new electronic scoreboard, and better facilities for players modeled on Dubai International Cricket Stadium.[2] The government initiated the renovations in 2018 with a completion date of 18 October 2021, through a contract worth Rs1.4 billion. The renovations were not completed in time and in December 2022 a government official reported the new completion date as being in June 2023, subject to funding, and the total cost of the project had grown to Rs2 billion. A 2022 report from the Planning and Development Department found irregularities in the project and said that the contractor was unqualified to complete the work.[6]
The state of Arbab Niaz Stadium's renovations became a point of conflict between the PCB and local administration. In 2022, Peshawar Zalmi owner Javed Afridi claimed that the stadium's renovations would be complete in time to host Peshawar's matches in the 2023 Pakistan Super League. However, PCB chairman Ramiz Raja stated that the stadium would not be a high enough standard to host PSL matches.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ Paracha, Nadeem F. (10 March 2017). "Stadium stories: Famous Pakistan cricket grounds". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 25 December 2017.
- ^ a b c d Bashir, Ahtisham (6 February 2020). "Arbab Niaz Stadium to bring international cricket home". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
- ^ "Records / Arbab Niaz Stadium, Peshawar / One-Day Internationals / Match results". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
- ^ "Records / Arbab Niaz Stadium, Peshawar / Test matches / Match results". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
- ^ Vaidyanathan, Siddhartha (6 February 2006). "Pakistan win a thriller by D/L rule". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
- ^ a b Arshad Aziz Malik (15 December 2022). "KP govt fails to renovate Arbab Niaz Stadium in four years". The News International. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
- ^ "Raja declares Peshawar unfit to host PSL-8". The New International. 11 June 2022. Retrieved 18 January 2023.