First used for international cricket in 1984, Sharjah has hosted an incredible 263 international men’s matches – only the Sydney Cricket Ground (277) and Melbourne Cricket Ground (275) have hosted more games. The 240 men’s ODIs it has hosted is 91 more than the next most used venue, the SCG (159).
Unsurprisingly, with so much cricket played at the ground, the venue is rich in the sport’s history. In 1986, it witnessed Javed Miandad’s famous last ball six against India and in 1998 Sachin Tendulkar’s incredible back-to-back centuries against Australia.
The T20 World Cup will be another chapter added to the famous ground’s story.