Pakistan’s international cricket map keeps shrinking

 

From 16 cities to two: Smog forces Lahore Test to Rawalpindi

 

By Asher Butt

Cricket in Pakistan has never been just a sport. It has been a unifying cultural thread, binding every province, city and ethnicity together. Yet the geography of the game in the country tells a stark and worrying story. From a sprawling national footprint of more than 16 international venues, Pakistan’s top-level cricket has now shrunk into a tight, repetitive cycle centred largely on Lahore and Karachi with a slightest addition of Multan.

The latest reminder came on November 10, when the Pakistan Cricket Board confirmed that the second Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, originally scheduled in Lahore from November 17 to 21, had been relocated to Rawalpindi due to prevailing weather conditions.

A PCB spokesperson said the decision was taken in view of increasing smog levels in Lahore. The match will now be played at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on the same dates, meaning both Tests of the series will be staged at one venue.

It was not an isolated incident. Over the years, venues have lost international matches for a combination of reasons — security concerns, failure to meet ICC-prescribed facilities, monsoon rains, extreme heat and humidity, overnight dew, shorter winter days, and now smog. Each factor has chipped away at the map, leaving fewer and fewer cities in the international loop.

At a time, sporting venues are shrinking, Pakistan will be providing financial assistance to build an international-standard cricket stadium in Gulhifalhu, Maldives, as part of efforts to strengthen sports cooperation between the two countries.

However, there was a time when non-metropolitan centres and regional hubs were regular stops for touring sides. Hosting an international match brought infrastructural investment, a localized economic boost and lifetime memories for regional fans.

In Punjab, major Tests and One-Day Internationals were routinely hosted at Sheikhupura Stadium, Jinnah Stadium in Sialkot, Jinnah Stadium in Gujranwala, Bahawal Stadium in Bahawalpur, Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad, as well as grounds in Sargodha and Zafar Ali Stadium in Sahiwal.

Beyond Karachi, Sindh had its own proud centre in Hyderabad. The Niaz Stadium became part of folklore after Jalal-ud-Din claimed the first-ever ODI hat-trick there in 1982, bringing high-profile cricket directly to the fans of interior Sindh.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan were equally part of the story. Peshawar’s Arbab Niaz Stadium, also known as Qayyum Stadium (now an Imran Khan Stadium), and Quetta’s Bugti Stadium and Ayub National Stadium provided passion-filled arenas where regional youth could watch international stars live, bridging national integration through sport.

But when international cricket gradually returned to Pakistan, hosting duties were initially shared between four main venues — Lahore, Karachi, Rawalpindi and Multan. Even that was a sharp contraction from the golden era.

In recent years, however, the pattern has consolidated further. Marquee series, high-profile tours and Pakistan Super League playoff legs have increasingly turned Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore and National Bank Stadium in Karachi into the heavy default choices, with Rawalpindi and Multan getting periodic inclusion rather than regular rotation.

The contrast is striking. The 1970s to 2000s era featured Lahore, Karachi, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Quetta, Multan, Faisalabad, Sialkot, Gujranwala, Sheikhupura, Hyderabad, Bahawalpur, Sargodha and Sahiwal — more than 16 cities. The early resurgence era narrowed that to four. The current pattern is predominantly Lahore and Karachi.

The cost of centralization or hyper-centralisation of international cricket has its consequences on the game that go far beyond the fixture list.

First, it alienates regional youth. Young fans in Peshawar, Quetta, Sialkot or Hyderabad are denied the opportunity to experience live international cricket in their home cities, creating a disconnect between grassroots talent and the top tier of the sport.

Second, it accelerates the decay of regional infrastructure. Without the incentive of international fixtures, historic grounds outside the main hubs suffer from reduced maintenance budgets and slow modernisation. A stadium that does not host international cricket struggles to justify investment.

Third, it weakens national inclusivity. Broadening the venue map ensures that international cricket acts as a shared national celebration rather than an exclusive privilege reserved for two or three major urban centres.

To restore Pakistan’s full cricketing footprint, the PCB and provincial sports authorities will need a structured, multi-city venue roadmap rather than ad-hoc decisions.

The most urgent step is to accelerate international-standard renovations at Arbab Niaz Stadium in Peshawar and to modernise Bugti Stadium in Quetta, both of which have waited years for a return to the international calendar.

The PSL footprint also needs to be broadened. Instead of centralising tournament legs, fixtures should be expanded to feature home venues in Faisalabad, Peshawar and Quetta, giving those cities a stake in the country’s biggest cricket product.

Equally important is logistics. The PCB will have to work alongside local administrations in cities like Sialkot, Faisalabad and Hyderabad to establish safe, streamlined hoteling and transit corridors capable of accommodating international squads, broadcast crews and officials.

For now, Rawalpindi will host both Tests against Sri Lanka. But the smog-driven relocation from Lahore is a reminder that even the two-city model is fragile. If Pakistan wants cricket to belong to the whole country again, the map will have to grow — not keep shrinking.