Every cricketer dreams of playing in big stadiums in front of thousands of spectators. Every venue has its specialties and hype associated with it. Some have world-class engineering used to build it while some are built on picturesque locations. Here are the Top 10 Most Beautiful International Stadiums in the World-
1. Lord’s Cricket Ground (London, England)
It won’t be wrong to call this stadium the “Mecca of Cricket.” This stadium is owned by the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the club which governs the Laws of Cricket. Situated in The John’s Wood in London, this ground has hosted many important matches including the finals of the first three World Cups. It is named after Thomas Lord, its founder, and has a capacity of holding 30,000 spectators. It can be easily identified by its iconic commentator’s box.
2. Optus Stadium (Perth, Australia)
The Optus Stadium in Perth was officially opened in January 2018. It is a multi-purpose stadium, but it is often used for international cricket. Situated beside the Swan River in Burswood in Western Australia, it is the third-largest stadium in Australia. It can hold over 60,000 people and regularly hosts international matches and Big Bash League matches.
3. Bay Oval (Tauranga, New Zealand)
The Bay Oval has hosted many international matches in all three formats. The first international match here was played in 2014. Since then, it has hosted 44 international matches apart from the 2018 U19 World Cup. It is scheduled to be one of the 2022 ICC Women’s World Cup venues.
4. Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium (Dharamsala, India)
This stadium has the Himalayan mountains in the background and is situated 1457 meters above sea level. It was built in 2003 and hosted its first international match in 2013 between India and England. It is also the home ground (apart from PCA Stadium Mohali) of the IPL team Kings XI Punjab. It was one of the seven stadiums that hosted the 2016 T20 World Cup.
5. Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium (Abu Dhabi, UAE)
This stadium in Abu Dhabi is named after Sheikh Zayed, the man who unified the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It took 23 million USD to build this stadium and was opened in 2004. It has hosted many major cricket tournaments including the Indian Premier League (IPL), T10 League, ACC Asia Cup, and ICC T20 World Cup.
6. Newlands Cricket Ground (Cape Town, South Africa)
This stadium regularly hosts international and domestic cricket. It is situated in Cape Town and is guarded by Table Mountain and Devil’s Peak. It was opened in 1888 and has hosted 252 international matches since. It was the host of the first semi-final of the inaugural T20 World Cup 2007 between New Zealand and Pakistan and the Indian Premier League 2009.
7. Sylhet International Cricket Stadium (Sylhet, Bangladesh)
The scenic stadium was opened in 2007 for hosting divisional matches. In 2013, it went through expansion to host the 2014 ICC T20 World Cup and 2014 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. It can accommodate 18,500 spectators and has hosted 13 international matches since its renovation. The stadium is also a home ground for the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) team Sylhet Sixers.
8. Adelaide Oval (Adelaide, Australia)
This stadium is located in Adelaide in South Australia and was opened in 1871. It is mostly used for cricket and Australian rules football. The highest crowd it has seated is 55,317 in the Second Ashes Test in December 2017. The stadium is expected to host one of the semi-finals of the 2022 ICC T20 World Cup.
9. Arnos Vale Stadium (Kingstown, Saint Vincent)
This stadium hosted its maiden international match in 1981 between England and West Indies. It can serve 18,000 spectators and has hosted 28 international matches. Apart from cricket, this stadium is often used for football matches.
10. Galle International Stadium (Galle, Sri Lanka)
This stadium is situated in Galle. It has been hosting international matches since 1998 and has hosted 47 such matches. It was destroyed in the 2004 Tsunami and served as a temporary refugee camp. Its renovation started in May 2006 and was opened again in 2007.
