Sharjah
Hi guys my name is Faisal I am big fan of cricket and today I am taking about Sharjah cricket ground
This cricket stadium holds a Guinness World Record that shocked even me.
Over 300 international matches hosted in the middle of a desert – more than Lord’s,
more than the MCG, more than anywhere on Earth.But what nobody tells you about Sharjah Cricket Stadium is that
it almost destroyed international cricket forever. And the man who
built it? He did it for the most unexpected reason you’ll ever hear.
What I’m about to tell you is the untold story of how a businessman’s impossible dream became both cricket’s greatest stage and its biggest nightmare. You’ll discover why India banned their team from playing here, what really happened during cricket’s darkest scandal, and the shocking truth about how this venue came back from the dead.
But first, let me tell you about the land this stadium was built on – because what
was here before will completely change how you see this place…
The land where Sharjah Cricket Stadium stands today wasn’t always
a cricket paradise. It was an oil refinery. Workers had to install special isolation
layers before they could even think about laying a pitch. They literally transformed
industrial wasteland into what would become cricket’s most famous desert oasis.But here’s what’s even crazier – the man who did this wasn’t even a cricket official…
Abdul Rahman Bukhatir wasn’t your typical cricket administrator. This Emirati businessman had one
thing that changed everything – he’d attended school in Karachi, where cricket fever infected his soul. By 1981, he noticed something the cricket boards completely missed. The UAE was filling up with South Asian expat workers who were desperate for just a taste of home.
And that’s when he made a decision that would change cricket forever…
Bukhatir faced a massive problem. The ICC and national cricket boards showed zero interest in his desert dream. So he did something that had never been done before – he created the Cricketers Benefit Fund Scheme in 1981. He offered players massive purses: fifty thousand dollars for
current players, fifteen thousand for retired legends. In the 1980s, this was serious money.But would anyone actually show up to play cricket in the middle of a desert?
The inaugural exhibition match in 1981 featured Gavaskar’s XI versus
Miandad’s XI. The response was electric. Fans packed the rudimentary stadium,
paying premium prices to watch cricket in the desert. Bukhatir had cracked the code.
1982 first international
The stadium was officially established in 1982, hosting its first international
matches during the Asia Cup in April 1984. But those early days were nothing like
what you see today – and the stories from back then are absolutely wild…
Hakim Jariwala, the stadium’s scorer, remembers the manual scoreboard that required ten boys to
operate. These operators worked in blazing sun, climbing wooden ladders, finding it virtually impossible to grab food, drinks, or even use washrooms during breaks. During one Bangladesh match, player name plates weren’t ready, leaving fans staring at a blank scoreboard.
But Bukhatir wasn’t done building. What he did next would make Sharjah the most
technologically advanced stadium in the region… The stadium expanded at breakneck speed. By 2002,
it had electronic scoreboards and floodlights, with capacity reaching 17,000. The renovations
never stopped. In 2011, workers replaced 8,000 discolored seats and 500 benches,
changed worn-out canopies, upgraded fencing, and added new screens. The
stadium’s capacity reached 24,000 for PSL 2019. The most significant upgrades were revolutionary.
The pitch was completely relaid to accommodate six surfaces – four for broadcasting, two for
practice. A new practice facility was built with four turf and four artificial wickets.
Player amenities included a state-of-the-art gymnasium, indoor swimming pool, steam room,
and sauna area. Eleven new VIP suites and an improved grand dining area were added.But all of this was just setting the stage for what would become cricket’s greatest
theater. What happened next created moments that still give cricket fans goosebumps…
Sharjah became the neutral ground where India and Pakistan could unleash their rivalry without political interference. The matches were legendary, creating moments that still
send shivers down cricket fans’ spines. But one match in particular changed
everything – and it involved a teenager who would become cricket’s greatest star…
Sachin Tendulkar’s back-to-back centuries against Australia in 1998 – the Desert
Storm innings that saved India’s tournament hopes. But here’s what most people don’t know:
the conditions were so extreme that Matthew Hayden later described playing in 45-degree heat against Shoaib Akhtar’s fury as one of the most brutal experiences of his career. But Sachin wasn’t the only one creating magic in the desert…
Javed Miandad’s last-ball six against India in 1986 – a finish so dramatic it still sparks
arguments in cricket forums today. But what happened in 1997 might be even more incredible.
Pakistan collapsed to 51 for 7 against Zimbabwe. Commentators fell silent.
Fans assumed the match was over. But what happened next defied all logic…
Wicket-keeper Moin Khan played the innings of his life, scoring 61 off 97 balls while Saqlain Mushtaq blocked everything for 81 deliveries to score just 20 runs. Pakistan
crawled to 151. Their bowlers then destroyed Zimbabwe for 119. It was pure cricket theater.
But Sharjah delivered more than just comeback stories. The records
set here were absolutely insane… In 2006, Sri Lanka and Netherlands
combined for 443 runs in a single ODI. Pakistan scored 364 for 7 against New Zealand in 2014,
while India was dismissed for just 54 runs against Sri Lanka in 2000. These extremes showcased the venue’s unpredictable nature. Afghanistan found a home here from 2010 to
2016. Mohammed Shahzad smashed an unbeaten 214, leading Afghanistan to the ninth-highest victory
chase in first-class history against Canada. But success attracts attention. And the
attention Sharjah was getting was about to destroy everything Bukhatir had built…
By the mid-1990s, whispers began circulating about Sharjah’s matches. Betting syndicates had
discovered cricket’s newest goldmine. The tournament format was perfect for
manipulation – short series, massive television audiences, and matches that could swing on
individual performances. But the first real red flag was something nobody expected… The Indian press started asking uncomfortable
questions about the presence of underworld figures in VIP boxes. The most shocking revelation? The
notorious don Dawood Ibrahim was regularly spotted at matches. Sharjah became widely perceived as the
hub and epicenter of match-fixing activities. But the man who maintained the pitches for 47
years swore something that would shock you… Mohammad Jameel, Sharjah’s chief curator for an
astonishing 47 years, maintained his pitches were always honest. He swore no one ever asked him to
prepare surfaces favoring specific teams. But the pitch was almost irrelevant when
the real game was happening off the field. And then in 2000, everything exploded…
The breaking point came with the Hansie Cronje scandal. South Africa’s
captain admitted to accepting money for match-fixing, and investigations pointed
straight toward Sharjah. The venue that had given cricket some of its greatest moments suddenly became synonymous with corruption. India’s reaction was swift and brutal… India’s cricket board banned the national team from playing at Sharjah, citing the
presence of undesirable elements. The BCCI’s withdrawal was devastating. Pakistan and other
nations followed suit. Between 2003 and 2010, Sharjah hosted almost no major international cricket. The golden goose was cooked. But here’s the twist nobody saw coming…
Lord Condon, who led the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit, investigated thoroughly. His findings were
shocking: while corruption existed, the focus on Sharjah was misplaced. Sharjah
had actually contacted the ICC asking for help installing security systems.
The corruption was global, not venue-specific. But public perception didn’t care about nuance.
Sharjah became the scapegoat for cricket’s sins… The irony was devastating. Bukhati whose genuine love for cricket had created this desert oasis, watched his life’s work crumble. The stadium that had given millions of fans their greatest cricket memories became
a symbol of everything wrong with the sport. For nearly a decade, Sharjah stood as cricket’s cautionary tale. But what happened next was the most unlikely comeback in sports history..Cricket offers second chances, and Sharjah’s redemption began quietly around 2010 when the
venue started hosting Afghanistan’s home matches. The nation’s cricket team needed a neutral ground,
and Sharjah provided the perfect solution. But the real breakthrough came when cricket’s biggest tournament made a shocking decision… The stadium’s revival accelerated when the
Indian Premier League chose Sharjah as a venue in 2014, then again during the pandemic years of
2020 and 2021. Cricket’s biggest stars returned to the desert under strict bio-bubble protocols.
But even in its comeback, Sharjah’s demons occasionally resurface…
During the 2022 Asia Cup match between Afghanistan and Pakistan, passionate cricket turned ugly.
Following Pakistan’s last-over victory, angry Afghan fans vandalized the stadium,hurling chairs at Pakistani supporters. Videos of chairs flying through stands
sent shockwaves through the cricket world. But there’s something about this place that keeps drawing cricket back… Despite ongoing criticism about
batsman-friendly pitches and infrastructure issues, Sharjah continues attracting large
crowds. The compact size ensures fans stay close to action, maintaining the intimate atmosphere
that makes Sharjah special. And the future? It’s brighter than you might think… In April 2023, the West Stand was officially
renamed the Sachin Tendulkar Stand, commemorating his 50th birthday and the 25th anniversary of
his Desert Storm innings. Plans exist for a cricket museum within the stadium complex. Sharjah is scheduled to host West Indies versus Nepal T20Is in September 2025 and will feature in the DP World ILT20 Season 4 concluding in January 2026.
The story of Sharjah Cricket Stadium is cricket’s story in microcosm. Passionate vision, incredible success, devastating scandal, and hard-fought redemption. From Abdul
Rahman Bukhatir’s impossible dream to Sachin’s Desert Storm, from the darkest
days of match-fixing to the bright lights of modern T20 cricket, Sharjah has seen it all. The venue that gave us cricket’s greatest moments also forced the sport to confront its greatest demons. Whether you consider it cricket’s greatest stage or its most controversial venue, one thing is undeniable – Sharjah Cricket Stadium changed cricket forever.