Maulana Azad Stadium

Maulana Azad Stadium
Ground information
Location Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir
Establishment 1966 [Globe]
Capacity 30,000
Owner n/a
Tenants Jammu and Kashmir cricket team
End names
n/a
International information
Only ODI 19 December, 1988: India v New Zealand
As of 3 April, 2012
Source: CricketArchive.com

Maulana Azad Stadium (also spelled Molana Azad Stadium) is a stadium in Jammu and is one of the home venues for the Jammu and Kashmir cricket team.[1] It is located on the banks of the Tawi River[2] and is named after Indian freedom fighter Abul Kalam Azad.

Cricket

Maulana Azad Stadium has hosted home games for Jammu and Kashmir in domestic tournaments since 1966.[1] It has also hosted one One Day International in 1988 between India and New Zealand, which was abandoned due to rain without a ball being bowled.[3][4]

The stadium has played host to one women's test match where India lost to West Indies[5] and one Women's One Day International where India beat New Zealand in 1985.[6]

Other uses

The ground is used for the Republic Day Parade in the state annually.[2] In 1995, three bomb blasts containing RDX were set off by remote control at the stadium during the parade resulting in eight deaths and fifty four injuries.[7][8] The blasts occurred when Governor General K V Krishna Rao was on stage taking salute[2] with 30,000 people in attendance.[9] Rao himself narrowly escaped the blast.[10] In the year 2000, three solar-activated rockets programmed to hit Maulana Azad Stadium were found by the police a few days prior to the Republic Day Parade.[11] Since the bombing incident in 1995 the entire turf is dug up as part of a security preparations prior to the Republic Day Parade. In 2000, as part of one of these excavations, an ancient structure of brick and plastered lime was unearthed. A newspaper report claimed that the structure was related to water since a drain was found.[2] A lodging centre at the stadium has played host to pilgrims embarking on the Amarnath yatra, from where the yatra flags off.[12]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 "Molana Azad Stadium, Jammu". CricketArchive.com. Retrieved 3 April 2012.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Dirt digging unearths heritage scoop". The Indian Express. 1 February 2000. Retrieved 3 April 2012.
  3. "New Zealand tour of India, 1988/89 / Scorecard". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 3 April 2012.
  4. "Northern light". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 3 April 2012.
  5. "West Indies Women in India 1976/77 (6th Test)". CricketArchive.com. Retrieved 3 April 2012.
  6. "New Zealand Women in India 1984/85 (6th ODI)". Retrieved 3 April 2012.
  7. Mathur, Krishna Mohan (1996). Police, law and internal security. Gyan Books. p. 139. ISBN 8121204550.
  8. "3 bomb blasts kill 7, hurt 52 at Karshmir fete". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 27 January 1995. Retrieved 3 April 2012.
  9. Joshi, Manoj (1999). The lost rebellion. Penguin Books. p. 393. ISBN 014027846X.
  10. Alexander, Yonah (2002). Combating terrorism: strategies of ten countries. University of Michigan Press. p. 313. ISBN 0472098241.
  11. "Alarm bells as Pak ultras sneak back into Kashmir". The Indian Express. 6 January 2000. Retrieved 3 April 2012.
  12. "Amarnath pilgrims begin journey". The Tribune. 10 July 2003. Retrieved 3 April 2012.