Time for a name change for the Gaddafi Stadium
Saad Shafqat, writing in the Dawn , says Lahore’s great Test centre is no ordinary stadium and it is a travesty for it to carry the name that it does.
Nikita Bastian
25-Feb-2013
Saad Shafqat, writing in the Dawn, says Lahore’s great Test centre is no ordinary stadium and it is a travesty for it to carry the name that it does.
It [the Gaddafi Stadium] is the headquarters of the Pakistan Cricket Board, which makes it not just the spiritual but also the official home of Pakistan cricket. It is a magnificent arena that has seen some stirring cricketing moments ... Contemplating a new name for this hallowed turf is not a straightforward exercise ...
It seems to me that the best chance of reaching universal agreement would be to honour a cricketing personality of enormous significance, and who better than some who also happens to be a son of Lahore. No, I’m not thinking of Imran Khan, although God knows he deserves it. The problem with Imran is that his political dimensions would prevent any such attempts proceeding further in our [Pakistan's] current national climate. And since Gaddafi is now a laughing stock, we really have no time to waste. I believe the ideal new name for Lahore’s famous Test centre would be Kardar Stadium. Just saying it out loud is gratifying—it resonates with a lovely ring.
Nikita Bastian is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo