MCS | |
Ground information | |
---|---|
Location | Multan, Punjab, Pakistan |
Coordinates | 30°10′15″N 71°31′29″E / 30.17083°N 71.52472°E |
Establishment | 2001 |
Capacity | 35,000 [1] |
Owner | Pakistan Cricket Board |
Operator | Southern Punjab Cricket Association |
Tenants |
Pakistan national cricket team Southern Punjab cricket team Multan Sultans Multan cricket team |
End names | |
Main Pavilion End North Pavilion End | |
International information | |
First Test | 29–31 August 2001: Pakistan v Bangladesh |
Last Test | 9–12 December 2022: Pakistan v England |
First ODI | 9 September 2003: Pakistan v Bangladesh |
Last ODI | 30 August 2023: Pakistan v Nepal |
As of 30 August 2023 Source: Multan Cricket Stadium, Cricinfo |
The Multan Cricket Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Multan, Punjab, Pakistan, owned by the Pakistan Cricket Board. [2] The stadium is located off Vehari Road, in the suburbs of Multan. It can host 35,000 spectators. [1] The stadium hosted its first Test match in August 2001, when Pakistan faced Bangladesh in the 2001–02 Asian Test Championship. [3]
The stadium is also able to hold day-night matches with a set of floodlights installed at the venue.
The ground was inaugurated in 2001 as a replacement for the Ibn-e-Qasim Bagh Stadium located at that time in the center of Multan. The first Test match at the stadium took place in August 2001 between Pakistan and Bangladesh, while the first One Day International was held on 9 September 2003 between the same teams. Floodlights were later installed to make day/night cricket matches possible. The first day/night game played here was between arch-rivals India and Pakistan on 16 February 2006. [4]
In April 2018, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced that the venue, along with several others in the country, would get a makeover to get them ready for future international matches and fixtures in the Pakistan Super League. [5]
This stadium hosted its first Pakistan Super League match on 26 February 2020 between Multan Sultans and Peshawar Zalmi. This stadium hosted three matches during the 2020 Pakistan Super League. It is the home ground of Mohammad Rizwan-led Multan Sultans.
On 30 May 2022, the PCB announced that Multan Cricket Stadium would host a three match ODI series against the West Indies in June. Multan hosted its first international match in 14 years, with the first ODI against the West Indies on 8 June 2022. [6]
In August 2022, the PCB announced that Multan would serve as one of the venues for the home Test series against England in December 2022. [7]
In 2023 edition of Pakistan Super League Multan hosted 5 matches including opening match between Lahore and Multan.
Multan hosted the opening match of the 2023 Asia Cup, between the hosts and Nepal. [8]
Asia’s biggest event Asia Cup 2023 was hosted by the stadium from 30 August 2023.The First match was played in Pakistan after 15 long years of waiting. The inaugural match was played between Nepal and Pakistan. Asia Cup started with a wonderful opening ceremony, Nepali Singer Trishala Guru and Pakistani Singer Aima Baig performed well with their melody voices.