Located in the very heart of Lahore is the botanical paradise that was once known as the Lawrence Gardens. In these prepossessing acres, rechristened as the Bagh-e-Jinnah after independence, is a cricket ground owned by the Lahore Gymkhana Club that has thrived since 1880. A wide 4 acres land was dedicated to the cricket ground way back in the 1880 to secure a place for the Englishman’s favourite game, cricket. And cricket is now by far the most played sport in the city of more than 13 million people. This majestic ground has a compelling history of cricket and is also the oldest ground in Pakistan (second oldest in Sub Continent). With Pakistan getting its independence from the British in 1947, the first ever domestic match was played in the ground. After that international teams started coming to Lahore and this ground was the test venue from 1955 to 1959. The last test match was played against the West Indies in 1959. After that Qaddafi Stadium became the venue for test cricket in Lahore.
As the time rolled on, the Lahore Gymkhana’s cricket ground was forgotten as a venue for international cricket. Even though the cameras and lights focused elsewhere, this cricket ground managed to preserve its aura and uniqueness over the years. Not to forget that club matches do take place on this very ground every Sunday.
In a new series of articles that endeavors to introduce the audience of Cricket DR to the playing fields of Lahore, we crossed over Bagh-e-Jinnah to see what this ground looks like nowadays, though one of us played their first club match in this iconic cricket ground. On the busy, congested Mall Road of Lahore no one can imagine a peaceful park on one side of the road. The tall trees like the Banyan, Pippul, Alistonia and oak, the myriad of creepers, the colourful flower beds and the lush green fields are what makes the Bagh beautiful and so much addictive that it attracts you to come here every Sunday morning.
If you enter the park from the Mall Road, stroll past the white edifice of the Jinnah Library and follow the metalled road amongst the trees, you will easily spot the cricket ground encircled by thick trees and a small pedestrian road. An old pavilion just like the one in any English county ground is on one end of the stadium. The pavilion consists of a member’s area and the players. The ground staff works day in and day out to keep the ground and the pavilion up to date. On the right-hand side of the pavilion, you can see an old museum which is under construction, however if you take a peep you can see the honour’s board displaying the pictures of players and the history of test cricket and Gymkhana’s cricket.
Pavilion of Gymkhana Cricket Ground, Lahore.
The ground staff members of Gymkhana Cricket Ground are the most underrated. Their toil and hard labour in producing world class pitches often goes unappreciated. Once you go and get yourself introduced to the ground staff member, then there is no stopping them. You will have to look for a gap to get yourself out and merge into another lane. Jokes aside, these people are thoroughly professional and know a lot about the ground. If they start then they would keep on going before their battery runs out of charge (which never happens). In short, the ground staff members are amazing people who have maintained the ground even during the darkest period.
View from the pavilion.All in all, there’s no doubt that Lahore’s Gymkhana cricket ground is one of the best in the city and the location of the ground adds to beauty and makes it more attractive. The one thing that stands out of this ground is the pavilion and the surroundings that other ground lacks in Lahore. This ground is arguably the best cricket ground in the country. And most importantly, it also meets the international standard and is capable of hosting an international match if required.
