Zahoor Elahi Stadium

Zahoor Elahi Stadium (Urdu: ظہور الہی اسٹیڈیم) is a cricket ground in Gujrat, in the Punjab province of Pakistan. This stadium regularly hosts Inter-district and Inter-region tournaments. It has also hosted a total of 14 grade-II cricket matches and one first-class match. It is the home ground of Gujrat cricket team and the Gujrat Under-19s. The stadium is named after politician Chaudhry Zahoor Elahi. Ground History Zahoor Elahi Stadium was previously known as the Horse Show Ground, as horse show used to be held there annually until the late 1990s. It was rebuilt in 2001 and 2002. After the renovation in March 2002 the ground was renamed as Zahoor Elahi Stadium after the late politician. Cricket History Zahoor Elahi Stadium has never hosted an international match and as of now it is not recognized as a first-class cricket ground by Pakistan Cricket Board thus it no longer hosts first-class matches. However, it has served as the home ground for the Gujrat cricket team in a number of other tournaments including Inter-district senior and under-19 tournaments. First-class Matches Zahoor Elahi Stadium hosted its only first-class match during the group stage of 2012–13 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy on 28 December 2012. Scorecard Sialkot vs Lahore Ravi Grade II Matches Zahoor Elahi stadium hosted 14 grade II matches during year 2001 and 2003. Under-19 Tournament (Grade II) 2001/02 Zahoor Elahi stadium hosted its first match during the 2001/02 season of grade II under-19 tournament. It hosted a total of three matches during that season. Quaid-e-Azam Trophy (Grade II) 2001/02 Zahoor Elahi stadium also hosted three matches from Quaid-e-Azam trophy during the season 2001/02 Under-19 Tournament (Grade II) 2002/03 Zahoor Elahi stadium hosted 5 matches during season 2002/03 of grade II Under-19s tournament Cornelius Trophy 2002/03 Zahoor Elahi stadium hosted another 3 grade II matches during the Cornellius Trophy 2002/03 Other Matches As of 2014 Zahoor Elahi stadium regularly hosts matches from different Inter-district and Inter-region/department tournaments. The stadium has also hosted a number of charity matches Other Events Zahoor Elahi Stadium has been used for a number of purposes beside cricket. Election Campaigns This stadium gets a fair share of political jamborees often during election days. Recent example being PTI's jalsa during which the stadium accommodated almost 10,000 people Industrial Exhibition The stadium has also been the host to all 6 Industrial exhibitions conducted by Gujrat chamber of commerce annually. Charity Matches More than a couple of charity matches have been held at Zahoor Elahi Stadium. Such as a T20 exhibition match on 4 May 2012 saw a number of international cricketers such including former captain Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Imran Nazir, Abdul Razaq, Kamran Akmal and Umar Akmal. Another such match in July 2014 saw huge attendance. Punjab Youth Festival Zahoor elahi stadium is recognized as a sports facility by sports board Punjab and it regularly hosts competitions which are part of Punjab youth Festival. Other Sports The Ground often hosts local Kabaddi matches. It is also known to be the host of Jashn-e-baharan sports festival. References