Iqbal Stadium Faisalabad is the name of a Test cricket pitch in Faisalabad, Pakistan. Among the many names the stadium has gone by are Lyallpur Stadium, National Stadium, and City Stadium. It was established in October 1978.
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| Iqbal Stadium |
History
Iqbal Stadium was formally opened in October 1978. It bears the poet Muhammad Iqbal's name. There is space for 18,000 individuals. It has hosted 14 One Day Internationals and 25 Test matches. After 14 tests, the final result was a draw. The Pakistan Cricket Board chose it as one of the venues for Quaid-e-Azam Trophy matches for the 2019–20 campaign in September 2019.
Information
Tests match
The first Test was played between Pakistan and India in October 1978.
Pakistan faced New Zealand in the inaugural ODI in November 1984.
In an inning against India in October 1984, Pakistan scored 6–674 runs.
In a matchup with Pakistan in October 1986, West Indies' lowest innings total was 53.
Sanath Jayasuriya's 253 against Pakistan in October 2004 for Sri Lanka was the highest individual score.
His finest bowling effort (performance) was Waqar Younis' 12-130 (7-76 & 5-54) against New Zealand in October 1990.
International one-day contests
The highest innings total was 7-314, achieved by Pakistan versus New Zealand in a 50-over match in December 2003.
In September 2003's match between Pakistan and Bangladesh, Mohammad Yousuf received the best score of 106.
The highest bowling performance belongs to Mudassar Nazar's 4-27 (4 overs) for Pakistan against New Zealand in November 1984.
Iqbal Stadium
The Iqbal Stadium in Pakistan's Faisalabad is a brand-new location with cutting-edge amenities. It is located in the northern part of the Punjab province. No matter how ideal the circumstances, the weather cannot be controlled, and Faisalabad has suffered as a result. Fog forced the postponement of the third Test against Zimbabwe in 1998–1999, and bad illumination is a common problem, particularly for games played in the winter.
There have been a few outstanding performances when play was possible. South Africa skittled Pakistan for 92 in a dramatic Test match in 1997–1998 while holding on to a 142–run target on the last day. Then, in 2004–05, Sri Lanka stormed to a 201–run triumph thanks to Sanath Jayasuriya's blistering 253.
The incident involving Mike Gatting and Shakoor Rana during England's 1987–88 tour is what made the stadium most well-known and cost the teams' rivalry some abiding hatred. At this location, the Pakistan Cricket Board also holds its national events. The Super 8 T20 most recently took place here from May 11 to May 18. Only approximately two kilometers separate the stadium from the city's core, which can be accessed on foot through the suburbs' tree-lined streets.
There are presently 9 available cricket pitches with the addition of 4 new ones in 2016.
Sport venues
The primary sports venues in Pakistan's Faisalabad are listed below.
The Iqbal Stadium
Faisalabad Hockey Stadium.
The Lyallpur gym
Water Park Aqua
Faisalabad Hockey Stadium
In the Pakistani city of Faisalabad, there is a multifunctional stadium called the Faisalabad Hockey Stadium. Field hockey matches are currently where it is most commonly used with a capacity of 25,000, it has a place behind Karachi and Lahore as Pakistan's largest hockey rink.
Susan Road, a popular spot for dining and shopping, is nearby. It was constructed in the 1990s and is situated in the center of the city. Due to its location in the Faisalabad District, it offers Gojra, Pakistan's hockey academy, exceptional amenities.
Its administration is under the control of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), with help from local, state, and federal agencies. Additionally to handling other difficulties, the PHF searches for the stadium. There are both training facilities and floodlights.
Both the national field hockey team of Pakistan and the regional teams call it home. This location has hosted several national tournaments, most notably the National Hockey Championship.
History
The Pakistani government chose Faisalabad as the seat of its divisions in 1985 and started several development initiatives there. Construction on these projects took more than ten years to complete all because of the poor planning, which began in the early 1990s. On April 16, 2003, Punjab Governor Khalid Maqbool declared the stadium officially operational. The following year, an AstroTurf pitch was placed there despite its bad condition. It hasn't been changed since.
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Due to the district's continual production of a substantial number of national-level and Olympic hockey players, the Faisalabad District has retained its significance in Pakistani hockey history.
The national field hockey team of Pakistan competes on a global scale. It held its first game in 1948 and was administered by the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), Pakistan's national hockey governing body. It joined the International Hockey Federation (FIH) in 1948 as well as the Asian Hockey Federation (ASHF), both of which were established in 1958. Pakistan's national field hockey team is regarded as one of the greatest in the world, having won a record four Hockey World Cups (in 1971, 1978, 1982, and 1994).
With 53 wins in 84 games played, seven ties, six appearances in the finals, and only 24 losses, Pakistan had the best overall World Cup success in both proportional and absolute terms. The Pakistani national team has participated in every FIH World Cup, except 2014 and 2022. The Green Shirts are the only Asian team to have won the prestigious Champions Trophy, with triumphs in 1978, 1980, and 1994.
They are also the most successful national team to compete at the Asian Games, having won eight gold medals in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1990, and 2010. Pakistan has won 29 recognized international championships at both the professional and amateur levels, including three gold medals in the field hockey events at the Olympic Games in Rome in 1960, Mexico City in 1968, and Los Angeles in 1984.
Pakistani national team
The official sport of the nation is field hockey. The Pakistani national team was crowned the greatest team in the world by the FIH in 2000 and 2001. The record for most international goals ever scored by a field hockey player belongs to former captain Sohail Abbas. Waseem Ahmad has played in the most games for the team, totaling 410 between 1996 and 2013.
India and Pakistan are known for having a fierce rivalry; traditionally, the two have competed against each other in the Asian and South Asian Games finals. They have already competed in 20 main event finals, with Pakistan coming out on top 13 times. Pakistan frequently outperformed India in the first three Hockey Asia Cup championship games, which were played in 1982, 1985, and 1989. Australia and Pakistan are in a heated rivalry with one another as well.
The National Hockey Stadium in Lahore serves as Pakistan's home field. Siegfried Aikman is now the team's leader, while Syed Sameer Hussain is the manager.
History
History from 1948 to 1955
In 1948, Pakistan's first national hockey team was established.
The sport was initially introduced to British India by the military, and it quickly caught on in the neighborhood like cricket did. The Pakistan Hockey Federation was started in 1948, not long after Pakistan got independence in 1947. Before India was divided, Pakistani athletes participated in the Indian team.
The Provincial Hockey/Sports Associations of West Punjab, East Bengal, Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Bahawalpur, and Services Sports Board were swiftly formed and organized by the Federation. In their first-ever international encounter at the 1948 London Olympics, Ali Iqtidar Shah Dara's Pakistani national side defeated Belgium 2-1 despite having minimal resources at their disposal.
Pakistan finished fourth and kept its perfect record in the group stage after defeating the Netherlands, Denmark, and France. The team's best performance came in the group stage when Pakistan defeated the Netherlands 6-1. After the Olympics, Pakistan began a tour of Europe, going unbeaten and playing Belgium, the Netherlands, and Italy.
Pakistan's first victory
Pakistan made their next appearance in an international match in 1950, participating in an invitational match in Spain after a two-year absence. It was Pakistan's first victory in an international match when the game was called due to a draw in the championship final. The Netherlands and Pakistan were each declared co-champions.
Pakistan's subsequent international debut, at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, took place after another two-year delay. Pakistan finished fourth overall after knocking off France 6-0 in the opening round of the competition but falling to the Netherlands and Great Britain. Teams from Europe visited Pakistan over four years and were welcomed there. Pakistan frequently traveled to Asia, playing a lot in Malaysia and Singapore.
Asian and Olympic honors on the rise (1956–1970)
During the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Pakistan, and Australia competed against one another.
When Pakistan reached the Melbourne final in 1956 but lost to India 1-0 to take home the silver medal and their first podium spot, it was also their first Olympic medal. Field hockey had its Asian Games debut in Tokyo in 1958. Pakistan had alliances with India's old rivals Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, and South Korea. They won their opening match 5-0 against Japan. They then immediately trounced South Korea (8-0) and Malaysia (6-0). Pakistan drew India 0-0 in the pivotal match to finish first and second in the round-robin rankings, earning Pakistan its first gold medal in an international competition.
Summer Olympics in Rome
Pakistan competed in a group with Australia, Poland, and Japan at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome and won all of its games. After defeating Germany 2-1 in the quarterfinal round, Pakistan moved to the semifinal round where they defeated Spain. Pakistan overcame India 1-0 to earn the gold medal in the deciding race, which was held at the Olympic Velodrome. Before this, India had won six straight gold medals at the Olympic Summer Games.
At the 1962 Asian Games, Pakistan's team was led by Chaudhry Ghulam Rasool, who also helped his country win its second gold medal. At the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, the national team finished in second place after losing to India 1-0 in the gold-medal match. They also came in second place in 1966 at the Asian Games in Bangkok, Thailand. In 1968, Pakistan earned a second gold medal at the Mexico Summer Olympics.
The team, led by captain Tariq Aziz and comprising players like Saeed Anwar, Khalid Mahmood, Gulraiz Akhtar, and Tariq Niazi, was widely recognized as the finest hockey team in history. This combination continued to be a formidable force even after Rasool's retirement. After defeating Kenya, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, Australia, France, and the Netherlands in the group stage, they triumphed against West Germany in the semifinals.
They won each of their six games. Muhammad Asad Malik and Abdul Rashid scored goals as Pakistan defeated Australia 2-1 to win the gold medal, much like they did in 1960. Pakistan has four consecutive appearances in the Olympic final. Tanvir Dar scored six goals, one more than Rashid, who led Pakistan in scoring with seven.
Golden Period (1970–1984)
Pakistan contested for first place and a berth in the finals at the 1970 Asian Games against Thailand, the host nation, and rival Japan. Pakistan defeated Japan 3-0 in the first round of the group stage to earn their first victory. Then, they destroyed Hong Kong 10-0 to take the lead. After playing Thailand to a scoreless draw, the team went on to defeat Malaysia 5-0 in the quarterfinals. Pakistan won their third gold medal from the Asian Games by defeating India 1-0 in the final.