Sharjah Cricket Stadium — The Unlikely Desert Venue That Wrote History
Sharjah Cricket Stadium in the UAE hosted legendary India-Pakistan ODIs in the 1980s–2000s. Learn why it became one of cricket's most famous venues.
About Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Sharjah Cricket Stadium in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, is one of cricket's most unusual and historically significant venues. A desert city in the Gulf region might seem an unlikely home for elite cricket — yet Sharjah became the epicentre of Indo-Pakistani cricket from the 1980s through the early 2000s, hosting some of the most-watched ODIs in history.
Key Facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Location | Sharjah, United Arab Emirates |
| Capacity | ~16,000 |
| Established | 1982 |
| Famous for | India-Pakistan ODIs in the 1980s–2000s |
| Current use | IPL matches, neutral-venue Tests |
Javed Miandad's Last-Ball Six
The most famous moment in Sharjah cricket history came on April 18, 1986. Pakistan needed 4 off the last ball to win against India in the Austral-Asia Cup final. Chetan Sharma bowled a full-toss; Javed Miandad hit it over the long-on boundary for six. Pakistan won by 1 wicket. The shot is replayed constantly in cricket history programmes and is the most remembered moment in Pakistan-India cricketing rivalry.
Why Sharjah Became a Neutral Venue
When political tensions prevented India and Pakistan from playing each other on home soil, Sharjah became the neutral venue where the rivalry could continue. Large South Asian expatriate communities in the UAE filled the stadium. The matches drew enormous television audiences across the subcontinent and made Sharjah a household name in cricket-playing nations.
Sharjah Today
Sharjah continues to host international and franchise cricket. It was one of three UAE venues used for IPL matches in 2020, when the IPL relocated to the UAE due to the COVID-19 pandemic in India. The low-bounce, dry pitches of Sharjah suit spin bowlers and provide high-scoring games.
Frequently asked questions
How many ODIs have been played at Sharjah?
Sharjah has hosted more ODIs than almost any other venue in the world — over 200 matches. This is partly because it hosted so many invitation tournaments, tri-series, and bilateral series between subcontinental teams during the 1980s and 1990s.