Gaddafi Stadium

Gaddafi Stadium (Urdu: قذافی اسٹیڈیم‎ / ALA-LC: Qaẕẕāfī Isṭeḍiyam) is a cricket ground in Lahore, Pakistan. It was designed by famous architect and engineer Nasreddin Murat-Khan, and constructed by Mian Abdul Khaliq and Company in 1959. The ground was renovated for the 1996 Cricket World Cup when it hosted the final. It is also the largest cricket stadium in Pakistan and was the fifth largest in the world with a capacity of 60,000 spectators, until renovation brought down the capacity to 27,000.

Ground history

Originally Lahore Stadium, was renamed in 1974 in honour of the former Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi following a speech he gave at the 2nd Organisation of the Islamic Conference meeting in Lahore 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.