National Stadium, Karachi

National Stadium, Karachi

The National Stadium, which is known as National Bank Cricket Arena because of the sponsorship, is a cricket stadium in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan, and it is owned by the Pakistan Cricket Board. It is the home ground of the franchise of Karachi Kings in the Pakistan Super League and teams of many cricket clubs in Sindh Province. It is the biggest cricket stadium in Pakistan, having the capacity to host 34000 spectators. In October 2022, the National Bank of Pakistan and the PCB signed a five-year naming rights agreement and arrived at the new title, i.e., National Bank Cricket Arena.

The Pakistan cricket team has an incredible Test record at the ground, as they have been beaten only twice in their 45 Test matches. There have been many unforgettable matches in this stadium, like 181 runs by Viv Richards against Sri Lanka in the 1987 Cricket World Cup and Mohammad Yousuf's ninth record century of the year to beat Viv Richards' record.

About National Stadium

National Stadium History:

The stadium was established in April 1955. At that time, Karachi was the capital of Pakistan but there was only one cricket ground that was found at Karachi Gymkhana which had little seating capacity. Then, under the guidance of Mr. Kafiluddin Ahmed, a senior civil engineer from East Pakistan, and Mr. Abdul Rasheed Khan a senior civil engineer from West Pakistan he was the one who began the construction of this stadium in April 1955. the venue was built where the stadium was situated which was now Karachi’s fifth first-class ground and Pakistan’s 11th.

The first-class match played between Pakistan and India, NSK started on 20-24 April 1955 and Pakistan cricket’s fortress was developed. From the first test in October 1954 until December 2000, Pakistan won 17 of the 34 matches and never lost any of them. They lost their first test match on the ground against England in 2000–01. November 1989 was the first test match that Sachin Tendulkar and Waqar Younis played in this stadium. The first ODI against West Indies, played at the National Stadium on 21 November 1980, was a nerve-wracking match that went right down to the last ball. With 3 needed, Greenidge drove Khan Imran squarely to the boundary for a cover drive.

In October 2022, the Pakistan Cricket Board renamed the stadium from National Stadium to the National Bank Cricket Arena after the deal was signed with the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) for 5 years.

National Stadium Record:

Test:

1. Highest team total: 765/6d, by Pakistan against Sri Lanka in 2009.
2. Lowest team total: 80, by Australia against Pakistan in 1956.
3. Highest run chase achieved: 315/9, in 2009.
4. Highest partnership: 437, by Mahela Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera against Pakistan in 2010.

One Day International (ODI):

1. Highest team total: 374/4, by India against Hong Kong, 25 June 2008.
2. Highest run chase (Won or Loss) 344/8 by Pakistan against India, 13 March 2004.
3. Lowest team total: 115, by Bangladesh against Pakistan, 4 July 2008.
4. Highest run chase achieved: 310/4, by India against Sri Lanka, 3 July 2008.
5. Highest individual score: 181, by Viv Richards against Sri Lanka, 13 October 1987.
6. Highest partnership: 201, by Sanath Jayasuriya and Kumar Sangakkara against Bangladesh, 30 June 2008.

T20 International (T20I):

1. Highest team total: 221/3 by England against Pakistan, 23 September 2022.
2. Lowest team total: 60/9 by West Indies against Pakistan, 1 April 2018.
3. Highest individual score: 110* by Babar Azam against England, 22 September 2022.
4. Highest partnership: 203*, by Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan against England, 22 September 2022.