Sharjah Cricket Stadium: Desert venue that became cricket's first 200-ODI ground before Abu Dhabi's rise

A Desert Oval Built in a Single Year

Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium was established in 1984, and the rapidity with which the venue acquired popularity — and, subsequently, one-day internationals — astounded many observers of the game. In a short span of 19 years, that is, until 2003, the ground had already hosted as many as 198 ODIs.

A Rare Stage for Cricket's Contests

The limited-overs matches at Sharjah were always staged as part of a tournament involving no fewer than three teams, lending the venue a distinctive festival atmosphere. Most of the tournaments were organised under The Cricketers Benefit Fund Series (CBFS), a scheme that aimed at providing a part of the tournament purse to retired cricketers from India and Pakistan.

Tests Without a Home Side

Sharjah is one of those rare grounds where a Test match has been hosted without the participation of the home team. In the wake of 11 September 2001, Pakistan became the epicentre of internal turmoil, and its cricket team was forced to choose the Sharjah ground for its Test series against the West Indies and, later, Australia.

A World Record and a Changing of the Guard

With a seating capacity of 27,000, the stadium holds a world record of being the first venue to host 200 ODIs, a milestone reached after the match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in November 2011.

Of late, however, hardly any cricket of consequence has been played at the ground. The newly opened Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi appropriated the popularity that Sharjah once enjoyed. As reported on 2026-10-09, Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Zayed Stadium — opened in May 2004 — packs 20,000 seats, full floodlights and air-conditioned facilities into a purpose-built arena a 30-minute drive from the city centre. It hosted its first first-class match within months of opening, Scotland against Kenya in the Intercontinental Cup, and later staged the 2006 India-Pakistan 'Friendship Series', which was expected to raise $10 million for earthquake relief — the new-wave venue that put Abu Dhabi firmly on the cricket map.