International cricket returns to ‘neglected’ Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad after 17 years

International cricket is set to return to Faisalabad’s Iqbal Stadium after a gap of 17 years, with Pakistan hosting South Africa in a three-match One-Day International (ODI) series beginning Tuesday.

The central Punjab city last staged an international fixture in 2008 when Pakistan faced Bangladesh in an ODI. Since then, Faisalabad had been off the international cricket map due to insufficient facilities, which have undergone gradual improvement over the past three years.

Pakistan’s newly appointed ODI captain, Shaheen Shah Afridi, expressed delight over the city’s return as an international venue. “It’s a special occasion that Faisalabad is hosting an international match after 17 years. It will be good for the fans of the city,” he said on Monday.

Following the 2009 militant attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore, Pakistan endured a six-year exile from hosting international matches, playing their home series in the United Arab Emirates until the return of foreign teams in 2015.

The ODI series marks the conclusion of South Africa’s multi-format tour of Pakistan, which saw the Test series drawn 1-1 and the hosts clinching the T20I series 2-1.

Shaheen, who takes charge of the ODI side for the first time, acknowledged the weight of responsibility. “It is an honour for me to lead the country,” he said. Pakistan will field a full-strength side featuring Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Rizwan, Haris Rauf, and Naseem Shah.

South Africa, meanwhile, will be without their regular captain Temba Bavuma and seven key players, including fast bowlers Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen, both rested. Leadership duties fall to Matthew Breetzke, who impressed earlier this year with a record-breaking 150 on ODI debut against New Zealand in Lahore.

Despite the depleted squad, Breetzke remained optimistic. “We are missing the core group of ODI players, but this gives younger players an opportunity to step up,” he said.

Star batter Quinton de Kock returns to the ODI format after reversing his 2023 retirement ahead of the tour. The remaining matches of the series are scheduled for Thursday and Saturday, also at Iqbal Stadium.

In previous encounters in Faisalabad, Pakistan and South Africa have met three times in ODIs — Pakistan winning twice (in 1994 and 2007) and South Africa once (in 2003).