Pindi Club Ground

{{short description|Stadium in Rawalpindi, Pakistan}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}} {{Use Pakistani English|date=July 2022}} {{Infobox cricket ground | ground_name = Pindi Club Ground

| nickname = Army Sports Ground | logo_image = | logo_caption = | image = | caption = | country = Pakistan | location = [[Rawalpindi]], [[Pakistan]] | coordinates = {{Coord|33|35|29|N|73|03|08|E|type:landmark_scale:2000|display=it}} | establishment = | seating_capacity = 15,000 | owner = [[Pakistan Cricket Board]] | Curator = | tenants = [[Pakistan national cricket team]] | end1 = Near End | end2 = Pavilion End | international = yes | onlytestdate = 27 March | onlytestyear = 1965 | onlytesthome = Pakistan | onlytestaway = New Zealand | firstodidate = 4 December | firstodiyear = 1985 | firstodihome = Pakistan | firstodiaway = West Indies | lastodidate = 12 October | lastodiyear = 1987 | lastodihome = Pakistan | lastodiaway = England | firstt20idate = | firstt20iyear = | firstt20ihome = | firstt20iaway = | lastt20idate = | lastt20iyear = | lastt20ihome = | lastt20iaway = | year1 = | club1 = | year2 = | club2 = | date = 29 December | year = 2020 | source = http://www.espncricinfo.com/pakistan/content/ground/59004.html ESPNcricinfo }}

'''Pindi Club Ground''', also known as the '''Army Sports Ground''',<ref name="auto">{{Cite web |title=Pakistan Cricket - 'our cricket' website |url=http://www.pcboard.com.pk/Grounds/1543.html |access-date=2022-10-01 |website=[[Pakistan Cricket Board]]}}</ref> is a multi-use [[stadium]] in [[Rawalpindi]], [[Pakistan]]. It is used mostly for [[cricket]] matches. The stadium can accommodate 15,000 people and hosted its first and only international [[Test cricket|Test match]] in 1965.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pindi Club Ground {{!}} Pakistan {{!}} Cricket Grounds {{!}} ESPNcricinfo.com |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/pakistan/content/ground/59004.html |access-date=2022-10-01 |website=[[ESPNcricinfo]]}}</ref> It also hosted one match as part of the [[1987 Cricket World Cup]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lynch |first=Steven |date=28 July 2014 |title=No repeats |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/espncricinfo-xi-grounds-that-have-hosted-only-one-test-764015 |access-date=2022-10-01 |website=[[ESPNcricinfo]]}}</ref>

It was the only cricket ground in Rawalpindi capable of hosting international matches until the establishment of [[Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium]] in 1992.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2005-10-25 |title=Pakistan ground guide: Rawalpindi |language=en-GB |work=[[BBC News]] |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/england/4345368.stm |access-date=2022-10-01}}</ref>

==History== The first ever double century here was scored in 1893 by the grandson of [[Queen Victoria]], [[Prince Christian Victor of Schleswig-Holstein|Prince Christian Victor]], who was then posted in the army at Rawalpindi.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/762345/cricket-british-army-and-pindi-club|title=Cricket, British Army and Pindi Club|first=Qamar|last=Ahmed|date=8 November 2012|website=DAWN.COM}}</ref> He scored 205 runs against [[Devonshire Regiment]] while playing for [[King's Royal Rifle Corps|King's Royal Rifles]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Bose |first1=Mihir |title=Test Match Grounds of the World |date=1990 |publisher=Willow Books |isbn=0002182823 |location=London |pages=173}}</ref> The ground also hosted the [[Marylebone Cricket Club]] for two matches, one against the Europeans and the other versus Rawalpindi Sports Club, in November 1926.

The first foreign side to visit the ground after Pakistan's [[Independence of Pakistan|independence]] in 1947 was [[Ceylon cricket team|Ceylon]] (now Sri Lanka), which faced Commander-in-Chief XI in March 1950. Further national team tours followed soon afterwards.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Khan |first=Khalid H. |date=2019-12-16 |title=Pindi Club Ground is a symbol of history |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1522469 |access-date=2022-10-01 |website=[[Dawn (newspaper)|Dawn]] |language=en}}</ref>

[[India national cricket team|India's]] [[Indian cricket team in Pakistan in 1954–55|first tour of Pakistan in 1955]], which was the first Test series to have been played in Pakistan, also involved a tour match against a Combined Services team in February 1955.<ref name=":0" /> Further international tours to Pakistan often involved a three-day practice matches against local teams, which were hosted by the Pindi Club Ground.

=== Test match === Pindi Club Ground has hosted just one Test match,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pindi Club Ground, Rawalpindi Cricket Team Records & Stats {{!}} ESPNcricinfo.com |url=https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/records/team/match_results.html?class=1&id=337&type=ground |access-date=2022-10-01 |website=[[ESPNcricinfo]]}}</ref> which was against [[New Zealand national cricket team|New Zealand]] in March 1965, which [[Pakistan national cricket team|Pakistan]] won convincingly by a margin of an innings and 64 runs.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Full Scorecard of New Zealand vs Pakistan 1st Test 1964/65 - Score Report {{!}} ESPNcricinfo.com |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/new-zealand-tour-of-pakistan-1964-65-62109/pakistan-vs-new-zealand-1st-test-62974/full-scorecard |access-date=2022-10-01 |website=[[ESPNcricinfo]]}}</ref> Interestingly, although Pakistan scored 318 runs in their only innings, there was not a single century scored. Neither was there any five wicket haul, although left arm spinner [[Pervez Sajjad]] took four wickets in each innings.<ref name=":1" /> [[Ehsan Mani]], former [[International Cricket Council|ICC]] President and [[Pakistan Cricket Board]] Chairman, served as one of the scorers of that match.<ref name=":0" />

===One Day Internationals=== The ground has hosted two ODIs, against the [[West Indies cricket team|West Indies]] and [[England cricket team|England]] in 1985 and 1987 respectively.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/353829/rawalpindi-odis-history|title=Rawalpindi ODIs history|date=16 March 2004|website=DAWN.COM}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Pindi Club Ground, Rawalpindi Cricket Team Records & Stats {{!}} ESPNcricinfo.com |url=https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/records/team/match_results.html?class=2&id=337&type=ground |access-date=2022-10-01 |website=[[ESPNcricinfo]]}}</ref> The latter match was played as a part of 1987 Cricket World Cup, and was completed on the reserve day after rain had stopped play on the original date.<ref name=":0" /> The Pakistan team won both matches. The highest ODI score by any batsman on this ground is the unbeaten 92 by [[Richie Richardson|Sir Richie Richardson]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pindi Club Ground, Rawalpindi Cricket Team Records & Stats {{!}} ESPNcricinfo.com |url=https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/records/batting/most_runs_innings.html?class=2&id=337&type=ground |access-date=2022-10-01 |website=[[ESPNcricinfo]]}}</ref>

==Current use== The ground is now used for cricket matches, especially by local clubs and domestic teams.<ref name="auto"/><ref>{{Cite web |title=Pakistan Cricket - 'our cricket' website |url=http://www.pcboard.com.pk/Grounds/1543_f.html |access-date=2022-10-01 |website=[[Pakistan Cricket Board]]}}</ref>

==See also== *[[List of Test cricket grounds]] * [[List of stadiums in Pakistan]] * [[List of cricket grounds in Pakistan]] * [[List of sports venues in Karachi]] * [[List of sports venues in Lahore]] * [[List of sports venues in Faisalabad]] * [[One-Test wonder]]

==References== {{reflist}}

[[Category:Stadiums in Pakistan]] [[Category:Test cricket grounds in Pakistan]] [[Category:Cricket grounds in Pakistan]] [[Category:Rawalpindi District|Ground]]