When it comes to cricket, Sharjah Cricket Stadium holds a special place in the hearts of many fans and stars of the sport. It was here that the first Asia Cup was held in 1984, which India won.
Founded in 1983 to promote goodwill among Asian nations, three countries – India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka – participated in the first Asia Cup. The opening match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, on April 6, 1984, became the first officially recognised ODI or one-day international at Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
India lifted the Asia Cup that year, led by captain and batsman Sunil Gavaskar. The country now holds the record for the most wins of the biennial tournament, having won eight times, including the most recent one held in 2023. Sri Lanka comes second, with six wins.
The Asian Cricket Council, which is based in Dubai, organises the Asia Cup, which now encompasses 30 member associations. It is affiliated to the International Cricket Council, the global governing body.
Sharjah Cricket Stadium has since hosted the Asia Cup twice more, in 1995 and 2022, when it co-hosted tournaments with Dubai International Stadium.
Emirati businessman Abdul Rahman Bukhatir, popularly known as the father of cricket in the UAE, founded Sharjah Cricket Stadium in the early 1980s with the support of Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah.
Taken by the sport while at school in Karachi, Pakistan, Bukhatir went on to establish its roots in the UAE.
“I played football first, but in Karachi I was introduced to cricket by my neighbours,” he told The National in 2022. "Surprisingly I found I was pretty good at it. I was bitten by the bug.
"I came back to a UAE where cricket was a non-starter except for a couple of teams at the Royal Air Force base. I got a few like-minded people together and we started playing on matting wickets. My friends were amused by my obsession but also intrigued.”
Sharjah Cricket Stadium still holds the world record for the most ODIs staged at a single venue, a feat recognised by Guinness World Records in 2010. The stadium, which has a capacity of about 16,000, has undergone various improvements over the years, most significantly in 2011 when it hosted its first international match in eight years and then again in 2014 before it hosted its first Indian Premier League (IPL) games.
Today, Sharjah Cricket Stadium may not reflect the modernity of other cricket grounds but it has a history. It's where the glamour in cricket could be found in the 1980s and 1990s, when film stars, musicians and fabulously wealthy businessmen congregated for matches.
In 2023, it renamed its West Stand the Sachin Tendulkar Stand, in honour of the Indian batting great, who first played at the venue in 1998 in what became known as “Desert Storm”, as the match was briefly interrupted by a sandstorm.
Tendulkar in turn paid tribute to the “special venue”. He said: “Playing in Sharjah has always been a magnificent experience. From the electrifying atmosphere to the love, affection and support, Sharjah has been a special venue for Indian cricket fans and lovers of the game from around the globe. It's given us so many special moments.”
