Pakistan Cricket Board To Rename Lahore’s Iconic Gaddafi Stadium

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is set to change name of the Gaddafi Stadium of Lahore after nearly 50 years. The renaming will be done by PCB to get financial aid. (More Cricket News)

Notably, the historic venue was named Lahore Stadium at the time of its construction in 1959 but in 1974, then Pakistan Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto renamed it as Gaddafi Stadium in the honour of former Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi.

According to a report carried by ESPNcricinfo, PCB chairman Ramiz Raja said that the board was in “advanced negotiations” with various sponsors and one of them will win the right to have the stadium renamed after it. Raja added that the National Stadium in Karachi and other stadiums may also be renamed in future.

“We've been working towards this for a while, and the response from sponsors has been satisfactory. Once we finalise a deal (for Lahore), the name Gaddafi will go completely, with a sponsor's name replacing it," Raja was quoted saying in the report.

It is worth noting that Muammar Gaddafi visited Lahore and gave a speech in favour of Pakistan's right to pursue nuclear weapons at the Organization of Islamic Conference. This inspired Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto to rename the stadium after the Libyan President.

The Gaddafi stadium Lahore will be hosting Pakistan Vs Australia third and final Test starting March 21. Talking about the Test series between the sides so far, none of the teams have an advantage as the first game ended in a high-scoring draw. In contrast, the pitch of National Stadium Karachi, where the second game is taking place, has witnessed good contest between the bat and the ball so far.

By Stumps on Day 4, Pakistan were 192/2 chasing a mammoth total of 506 runs in the fourth innings.