5 best neutral venues in cricket

The history of cricket has many examples which prove that some of the best venues where the game was played, have not necessarily been located in the major cricket-playing nations only. Cricket has been played in many neutral venues which did not have too much to do with the sport at the time when they hosted cricket matches.While some of these grounds have built their own legacy in world of cricket, some of the others have managed to produce some high-quality and interesting cricket matches.Let’s take a look at 5 of the best neutral venues that have hosted cricket games over the years:

#5 Singapore Cricket Club

The Singapore Cricket Club has hosted an international tri-series

Having hosted a tri-series featuring three Asian giants – India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, the Singapore Cricket Club is one of the best looking neutral venues in the history of cricket. The ground is surrounded on all sides by Singapore’s concrete jungle with sky scrapers almost adjoining it.

Cricket at the Singapore Cricket Club dates back to the 1800s when the city was a part of the British colonial rule. But international cricket’s brief rendezvous with the ground saw Pakistan clinching the 1996 Singer Cup beating Sri Lanka in the final.

The venue can certainly boast of having seen many future legends of the game in action such as Sachin Tendulkar, Muttiah Muralitharan, Anil Kumble and Waqar Younis among others and also Sanath Jayasuriya’s then record 48-ball ODI ton.

Although the chances of more international cricket taking place at the Singapore Cricket Club are grim at best, it would be great to see some cricketing action at the venue once more.

#4 Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club

The cricket ground at Toronto became famous because of the Sahara Friendship Cup

The Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club gained a lot of popularity during the late 1990s for being a neutral venue for a bilateral series between arch-rivals India and Pakistan, known as the Sahara Friendship Cup. All three editions of the popular tournament were played at the same venue.

A small stadium with a limited seating capacity of around 5,000, it also hosted ODIs for the home team, Canada, against other Associate nations for almost five years. However, it was primarily the India-Pakistan encounters here which are still talked about.

No international cricket has been played at the Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club in the last 4 years but considering the current situation of Indo-Pak cricket relations, it may be a great time to bring back the Sahara Cup.

#3 Dubai International Cricket Stadium

The Dubai International Cricket Stadium is among the most beautiful venues in the world

The Dubai International Cricket Stadium is among the most spectacular stadiums in the entire world. Not only that, it is also one of the most well-illuminated grounds to have hosted a cricket match. The venue is just around 6 years old in cricketing spheres, but has already hosted a decent number of Tests as well as ODIs.

It has gone on to become a home ground for the Pakistani cricket team along with the two other primary venues in the UAE namely Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. The stadium has a good capacity of 25,000 with its main feature being the floodlights which cover the entire circumference of the ground.

It has been a happy hunting ground for the Pakistanis as they have won 5 out of the 9 Tests that they have played here. Taking into account the great infrastructure of the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, it may not take too long for it to become one of the top cricket venues in the world.

#2 Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi

The Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi is a sight to behold

One of the most beautiful looking stadiums in the world, the Sheikh Zayed Stadium at Abu Dhabi, is one among three major cricket stadiums in the United Arab Emirates. Built on a budget of close to $22 million, this marvellous stadium has been hosting ODIs since the year 2006. Since 2010, it has also become a Test venue and acts as an home ground for the Pakistan cricket team.

The seating capacity of the stadium is 20,000 including the large grassy bank where spectators can relax and enjoy the cricket. In just a few years, the Sheikh Zayed Stadium is already on course for a legacy, that of being a fortress for Pakistan in Tests as they have never lost a Test here in the nine that have been played so far.

Going by the visual splendor of the stadium and great facilities that are on offer, this stadium is surely going to be a more prominent cricketing venue in the years to come.

#1 Sharjah Cricket Stadium

The Sharjah Cricket Stadium is among the most popular ones in cricket history

By far, the best neutral venue in the history of cricket has been the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, which has been hosting ODI matches since the year 1984. Of late, the stadium has also become a Test venue and has hosted 8 Tests, all of which have featured Pakistan playing hosts. There was a time, between the years 1995 and 2001, when the iconic venue had a fixed quota of hosting 14 ODIs each year.

But in the wake of match fixing scandals which surfaced during the late 1990s and early 2000s, Sharjah began to lose its prominence as a cricketing venue since 2002. However, it has hung on and is slowly beginning to regain its lost glory as one of the home grounds for the Pakistan cricket team, thanks to the reluctance of international teams to visit the troubled nation.

The Sharjah Cricket Stadium has a more than decent capacity of 27,000 and makes for an excellent sight when filled to the brim. It has seen some exciting encounters over the years and many legends have performed some of their grandest acts at this venue, the greatest examples being the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Wasim Akram among others.

Both cricketers and fans will be hoping that they will see much more gruelling cricket at Sharjah in the years to come and it will soon be back among the top stadiums in world cricket.