Located in Quetta, Balochistan, Ayub National Stadium (previously known as the Balochistan Cricket Association Ground) is a multi-purpose venue. Primarily used for football matches, it’s part of the Ayub Sports Complex. This complex boasts a football pitch, tartan track, indoor game halls, handball court, and even two hockey turfs. The famous Bugti stadium is situated right next to this one.
In this blog, Graana.com brings you a comprehensive guide to the Ayub National Stadium, Quetta.
Highlights
| Feature | Detail |
| Capacity | 20,000 |
| Former Name | Baluchistan Cricket Association Ground |
| City | Quetta |
| Country | Pakistan |
| Coordinates | 30°12′14″N 66°59′53″E |
Ayub National Stadium: A History of Cricket, Football, and Challenges
Ayub National Stadium, is capable of accommodating up to 20,000 spectators and has a long history of holding international athletic events. It is one of the top cricket stadiums in Pakistan.
Situated at 30°12′14′′N 66°59′53′′E in Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan, it hosted One Day International (ODI) cricket matches between India and Pakistan in 1978 and 1984. Remarkably, Ayub National Stadium hosted the inaugural One-Day International (ODI) cricket match between these two countries in this format in 1978.
The stadium also included a stage for football. It staged the first game of Pakistan and India’s three-game friendly series on June 12, 2005, which resulted in a 1-1 draw. In 2016 and 2017, the location hosted the Balochistan Football Cup, which carried on this tradition.
But mishandling and carelessness had their price. The stadium deteriorated over time and was left without even the most basic amenities, such as a pavilion and a suitable grass pitch for play. The venue’s main function shifted to political gatherings, which accelerated its deterioration.
Renovation and Renewed Use
Fortunately, in March 2018, things took a different turn. In an effort to bring back athletic events to the stadium, renovations were started before 2019 National Games of Pakistan.
This refurbishment was a success. The Ufone 4G Balochistan Football Cup 2021 was held in November 2021 at the stadium. That tournament included the championship game between Muslim FC and Baloch Quetta,
It even had a major impact on Pakistan’s 2023 National Games. The stadium is part of the Ayub Sports Complex, which is a hub for multiple indoor sports. Some of those sports include handball, squash, tennis, volleyball, badminton, basketball, and martial arts. Football, tug-of-war, and athletics were all held in the stadium.
Recent Setback
Even with the good progress, a new problem surfaced in the latter part of 2023. The running track at the stadium required immediate repairs because to considerable damage caused by political rallies organised by JUI-F, Pakistan Peoples Party, and PKMAP.
Highest Partnerships by Runs (ODI Matches)
| Partners | Runs | Wkt | Team | Opposition | Ground | Match Date | Scorecard |
| MN Samuels, CH Gayle | 372 | 2nd | West Indies | v Zimbabwe | Canberra | 24 Feb 2015 | ODI # 3612 |
| SD Hope, JD Campbell | 365 | 1st | West Indies | v Ireland | Dublin | 5 May 2019 | ODI # 4128 |
| SR Tendulkar, R Dravid | 331 | 2nd | India | v New Zealand | Hyderabad (Deccan) | 8 Nov 1999 | ODI # 1523 |
| SC Ganguly, R Dravid | 318 | 2nd | India | v Sri Lanka | Taunton | 26 May 1999 | ODI # 1463 |
| Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman | 304 | 1st | Pakistan | v Zimbabwe | Bulawayo | 20 Jul 2018 | ODI # 4020 |
| Tamim Iqbal, Litton Das | 292 | 1st | Bangladesh | v Zimbabwe | Sylhet | 6 Mar 2020 | ODI # 4253 |
| V Kohli, Ishan Kishan | 290 | 2nd | India | v Bangladesh | Chattogram | 10 Dec 2022 | ODI # 4499 |
| WU Tharanga, ST Jayasuriya | 286 | 1st | Sri Lanka | v England | Leeds | 1 Jul 2006 | ODI # 2389 |
| DA Warner, TM Head | 284 | 1st | Australia | v Pakistan | Adelaide | 26 Jan 2017 | ODI # 3826 |
| Q de Kock, HM Amla | 282* | 1st | South Africa | v Bangladesh | Kimberley | 15 Oct 2017 | ODI # 3923 |
| WU Tharanga, TM Dilshan | 282 | 1st | Sri Lanka | v Zimbabwe | Pallekele | 10 Mar 2011 | ODI # 3125 |
| A Jadeja, M Azharuddin | 275* | 4th | India | v Zimbabwe | Cuttack | 9 Apr 1998 | ODI # 1311 |
| JAH Marshall, BB McCullum | 274 | 1st | New Zealand | v Ireland | Aberdeen | 1 Jul 2008 | ODI # 2727 |
| R Ravindra, DP Conway | 273* | 2nd | New Zealand | v England | Ahmedabad | 5 Oct 2023 | ODI # 4658 |
| DA Warner, TM Head | 269 | 1st | Australia | v England | Melbourne | 22 Nov 2022 | ODI # 4480 |
| L Ronchi, GD Elliott | 267* | 6th | New Zealand | v Sri Lanka | Dunedin | 23 Jan 2015 | ODI # 3588 |
| Inzamam-ul-Haq, Aamer Sohail | 263 | 2nd | Pakistan | v New Zealand | Sharjah | 20 Apr 1994 | ODI # 911 |
| DA Warner, SPD Smith | 260 | 2nd | Australia | v Afghanistan | Perth | 4 Mar 2015 | ODI # 3623 |
| DA Warner, MR Marsh | 259 | 1st | Australia | v Pakistan | Bengaluru | 20 Oct 2023 | ODI # 4675 |
| DA Warner, AJ Finch | 258* | 1st | Australia | v India | Wankhede | 14 Jan 2020 | ODI # 4231 |
| SR Tendulkar, SC Ganguly | 258 | 1st | India | v Kenya | Paarl | 24 Oct 2001 | ODI # 1764 |
| D Ramdin, DM Bravo | 258 | 3rd | West Indies | v Bangladesh | Basseterre | 25 Aug 2014 | ODI # 3514 |
| Saleem Elahi, Abdul Razzaq | 257 | 2nd | Pakistan | v South Africa | Gqeberha | 11 Dec 2002 | ODI # 1916 |
| DA Miller, JP Duminy | 256* | 5th | South Africa | v Zimbabwe | Hamilton | 15 Feb 2015 | ODI # 3601 |
| JJ Roy, AD Hales | 256* | 1st | England | v Sri Lanka | Birmingham | 24 Jun 2016 | ODI # 3753 |
| Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni | 256 | 4th | India | v England | Cuttack | 19 Jan 2017 | ODI # 3821 |
| Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran | 256 | 1st | Afghanistan | v Bangladesh | Chattogram | 8 Jul 2023 | ODI # 4619 |
| SR Watson, RT Ponting | 252* | 2nd | Australia | v England | Centurion | 2 Oct 2009 | ODI # 2905 |
| SR Tendulkar, SC Ganguly | 252 | 1st | India | v Sri Lanka | Colombo (RPS) | 7 Jul 1998 | ODI # 1344 |
| DA Miller, F du Plessis | 252 | 4th | South Africa | v Australia | Hobart | 11 Nov 2018 | ODI # 4069 |
| IJL Trott, AJ Strauss | 250 | 2nd | England | v Bangladesh | Birmingham | 12 Jul 2010 | ODI # 3026 |
| JE Root, AD Hales | 248 | 2nd | England | v Pakistan | Nottingham | 30 Aug 2016 | ODI # 3773 |
| RR Rossouw, HM Amla | 247 | 1st | South Africa | v West Indies | Johannesburg | 18 Jan 2015 | ODI # 3583 |
Highest Partnerships by Runs (T20 Matches)
| Partners | Runs | Wkt | Team | Opposition | Ground | Match Date | Scorecard |
| L Yamamoto-Lake, K Kadowaki-Fleming | 258* | 1st | Japan | v China | Mong Kok | 15 Feb 2024 | T20I # 2470 |
| Usman Ghani, Hazratullah Zazai | 236 | 1st | Afghanistan | v Ireland | Dehradun | 23 Feb 2019 | T20I # 746 |
| DJM Short, AJ Finch | 223 | 1st | Australia | v Zimbabwe | Harare | 3 Jul 2018 | T20I # 683 |
| Dylan Steyn, S Davizi | 220 | 1st | Czech Rep. | v Bulgaria | Marsa | 12 May 2022 | T20I # 1529 |
| BA Pai, L Bruce | 213* | 1st | Gibraltar | v Bulgaria | Marsa | 13 May 2022 | T20I # 1531 |
| Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam | 203* | 1st | Pakistan | v England | Karachi | 22 Sep 2022 | T20I # 1793 |
| HG Munsey, KJ Coetzer | 200 | 1st | Scotland | v Netherlands | Dublin (Malahide) | 16 Sep 2019 | T20I # 884 |
| Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam | 197 | 1st | Pakistan | v South Africa | Centurion | 14 Apr 2021 | T20I # 1147 |
| RK Paudel, Kushal Malla | 193 | 3rd | Nepal | v Mongolia | Hangzhou | 27 Sep 2023 | T20I # 2255 |
| M Levitt, SA Engelbrecht | 193 | 2nd | Netherlands | v Namibia | Kirtipur | 29 Feb 2024 | T20I # 2488 |
| RK Singh, RG Sharma | 190* | 5th | India | v Afghanistan | Bengaluru | 17 Jan 2024 | T20I # 2435 |
| GD Phillips, DP Conway | 184 | 3rd | New Zealand | v West Indies | Mount Maunganui | 29 Nov 2020 | T20I # 1110 |
| B McMullen, OJ Hairs | 183 | 2nd | Scotland | v Italy | Edinburgh | 24 Jul 2023 | T20I # 2160 |
| EJG Morgan, DJ Malan | 182 | 3rd | England | v New Zealand | Napier | 8 Nov 2019 | T20I # 1008 |
| T Manders, KS Leverock | 179 | 1st | Bermuda | v Panama | Buenos Aires | 28 Feb 2023 | T20I # 2009 |
| SV Samson, DJ Hooda | 176 | 2nd | India | v Ireland | Dublin (Malahide) | 28 Jun 2022 | T20I # 1586 |
| DA Miller, Q de Kock | 174* | 4th | South Africa | v India | Guwahati | 2 Oct 2022 | T20I # 1803 |
| BA Pai, L Bruce | 172* | 1st | Gibraltar | v Bulgaria | Marsa | 23 Oct 2021 | T20I # 1347 |
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