Ghost of a Match Day Friday at Sharjah
Sharjah's Match Day Friday was quiet. The stores and offices are closed, the road and flyover are empty, and the stadium is modest. Pakistan played Hong Kong, not India. Sharjah resident Hazrat Usman has enjoyed several India-Pakistan duels on Friday.
Sharjah hosted most cricket matches, but India and Pakistan dominated. Sheikh al-Qasimi changed his mind about western influences and protected the area’s past. The flyover ate up much of the ground and a tier had to be dismantled. Pagoda-roofs cover all but one stand. The seating arrangements are modern.
The old Match Day Friday stadium in Sharjah is no longer popular. It was the cradle of one-day cricket for two decades. The stadium is named after Emirati businessman Abdul Rahman Bukhatir. He fell in love with cricket in Pakistan while in school. He started a business in the 1970s when British Army troops played cricket on the airport runway. Sharah hosted the first CBF match between Pakistan and India on April 3, 1981.
