The Multan Cricket Stadium is a multi-purpose venue located in Multan, Pakistan.

Established in 2001, the Multan Cricket Stadium has a seating capacity of 35,000. Interestingly, the stadium was built as a replacement for the Qasim Bagh stadium.

It is the home ground of the Pakistan cricket team, Southern Punjab cricket team and PSL outfit Multan Sultans.

Owned by the Pakistan Cricket Board, the Multan Cricket Stadium staged its first One-Day International (ODI) match between Pakistan and Bangladesh in 2003. The Inzamam-ul-Haq-led Pakistan won the match by a massive 137 runs in Multan, Punjab.

It later hosted its first day/night ODI game at this venue between arch-rivals Pakistan and India on February 16, 2006. Led by Rahul Dravid, India secured a five-wicket win in that match. It has staged 10 ODIs so far.

Let’s have a look at Multan Cricket Stadium ODI records and stats:

Multan Cricket Stadium ODI records and stats

Highest team total

The Pakistan cricket team holds the record for the highest team total at the Multan Cricket Stadium in ODI format. The hosts posted 323/3 in their 50 overs during the first ODI of Bangladesh’s tour of Pakistan in 2003. Opener Yasir Hameed scored 116 while captain Inzamam-ul-Haq (56 not out) and Younis Khan (59 not out) hit fifties to power Pakistan to a huge total. In reply, Bangladesh were bowled out for 186 in 43.2 overs. Pakistan won the match by 137 runs and later registered a 5-0 ODI series win.

Lowest team total

The Zimbabwe cricket team recorded the lowest team total at the Multan Cricket Stadium in ODI cricket. Chasing a target of 293, the Tatenda Taibu-led Zimbabwe were skittled out for 148 in 38.3 overs against Pakistan in 2004. Shoaib Malik and Shahid Afridi were the standout bowlers for Pakistan as they bagged three wickets each. Earlier, all-rounder Abdul Razzaq’s unbeaten 107 guided Pakistan to 292/7 in their allotted 50 overs. Pakistan secured a comprehensive 144-run victory in Multan.

Most runs

Pakistan’s Imam-ul-Haq holds the record for the most runs at this venue in ODI cricket. The southpaw has scored 199 runs in three matches at an average of 66.33 and a strike rate of 94.31. He has slammed three fifties at the Multan cricket stadium in the 50-over format. Former Pakistani cricketer Yasir Hameed is second on the list with 197 runs in four ODIs.

Most wickets

Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz has picked up the most wickets at the Multan Cricket Stadium in ODI cricket. The slow left-arm spinner has already scalped seven wickets in three matches at an average of 19.42 and an economy of 4.53. He recorded best bowling figures of 4/19 on this ground in ODI cricket. His compatriot Shadab Khan features second on the list with seven wickets in three ODIs.

Highest individual score

West Indies cricketer Shai Hope owns the record for the highest individual score at this venue in the ODI format. The stylish wicketkeeper-batter scored 127 off 134 balls during the first ODI of West Indies' tour of Pakistan in 2022. Hope’s scintillating knock included 15 fours and one six. West Indies rode on Hope’s brilliant hundred to post 305/8 in their 50 overs. However, captain Babar Azam (103), Imam-ul-Haq (65) and Mohammad Rizwan (59) helped Pakistan chase down the required target in 49.2 overs and register a five-wicket victory.

Best bowling figures

Mohammad Nawaz has the best bowling figures at the Multan Cricket Stadium in ODI cricket. During the second ODI of the West Indies tour of Pakistan in 2022, Nawaz registered match-winning figures of 4/10 in Multan. Defending 275, the left-arm spinner bagged the huge wickets of Shamarh Brooks, Brandon King, Nicholas Pooran and Alzarri Joseph to bowl out West Indies for 155 in 32.2 overs.

Highest partnership

Former South Africa cricketers Graeme Smith and Shaun Pollock hold the record for the highest partnership at the Multan Cricket Stadium in the ODI format. Chasing 231, Graeme Smith and Shaun Pollock forged a match-winning 159-run stand for the second wicket to guide the visitors to a seven-wicket win in 2007. While Proteas captain Smith scored 81, star all-rounder Pollock slammed 90 off 84 balls. South Africa won the five-match ODI series 3-2.

Photo credit: Alamy

Ahead of the eighth edition of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), former Australia pacer Brett Lee expects Chris Lynn and Shai Hope to dominate the run-scoring charts.

The 2020 edition of the CPL, which is the first domestic T20 tournament to return following the virus-enforced lockdown, kicks off on August 18 and will run until September 10. The six-team tournament will see a total of 33 matches being played at two venues �?Brian Lara Stadium (Tarouba) and Queen’s Park Oval (Port of Spain).

Speaking right ahead of the tournament opener, Lee said, “For the leading run-scorers, I’m going to go with either Chris Lynn (St Kitts and Nevis Patriots) or Shai Hope (Barbados Tridents). These batsmen have a great chance, but I think Hope will feel less pressure in this format of the game.�?/span>

Lynn looking for more of the same

Lynn, who missed the 2019 edition of the tournament, has scored 742 runs in three years at an average of 27.5. The figure might not provide any sort of confidence, but coming off a blistering unbeaten 115 off just 55 deliveries while playing for Lahore Qalandars in this year’s Pakistan Super League, a lot will be expected of him.

Chris Lynn most dangerous and Entertaining Cricketer . Just 1 Day To Go for @lynny50 batting in CPL. Some sixes of chris Lynn in CPL enjoy this and waiting to see more in this year . pic.twitter.com/hYAVjkdVL0

�?Ayush Ranjan (@AyushRa49378158) August 18, 2020

The Australian, in fact, was the second-highest run-scorer in PSL behind Babar Azam, accumulating 284 runs in eight matches at an average of 40.25. At Patriots, the hard-hitting batsman will be reunited with his Lahore Qalandars and Australian teammate Ben Dunk.

Hope for Shai

Barbados Tridents�?Shai Hope missed a major chunk of last season’s CPL season owing to a finger injury he picked up during the Test series against India in August 2019. He was limited to just three appearances last season, and he managed to score 52 at an average of 17.3.

In a total of 17 matches played in the CPL across three seasons, the 26-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman has scored 379 runs at 23.7, including a solitary half-century. Scoring-wise, his best performance came in the 2018 edition where he smashed 288 runs at an impressive average of 32.0 and strike-rate of 137.1.

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Feature image courtesy: AFP / Jewel Samad

After a magnificent knock of 147 in the first innings that helped West Indies avoid what seemed like an inevitable follow-on, Shai Hope struck an unbeaten 118 in the second innings to guide his team to a famous victory at Headingly in 2017.

The visitors chased down 322, the fourth-highest final innings score in a winning cause in England and also the fourth-highest run chase in Tests in West Indies history. Hope seemed like he would live up to his name and be the next great West Indies batsman -- The successor to Brian Lara and Shivnarine Chanderpaul. Fast forward three years later and that hope has seemingly faded away.

Since the start of 2018, Hope has batted 32 times for the West Indies in Tests and scored just 607 runs at an abysmal average of 18.97. He’s struck just two half-centuries and has failed to reach triple figures even once in the past three years.

After scores of 16, 9, 25 and 7 in the first two Tests against England, rumours swirled that Hope might be dropped for the series decider against the hosts. However, the 26-year-old retained his place but did not do much justice to his selection, with scores of 17 and 31.

• Three things we learned from the England-West Indies series

His form is as bad as it could possibly be, but his talent is unquestionable. Since those twin tons at Headingly, Hope has scored eight centuries in ODIs and has been outscored by only two batsmen - Indian skipper Virat Kohli and opener Rohit Sharma.

Hope is 12th in the ICC’s ODI batting rankings, just five points off the top 10. He’s clearly more comfortable in white-ball cricket than he is in Tests. In fact, his best score of 31 in the England series came off just 38 balls, illustrating that he’s far more comfortable going after a bowling attack rather than hanging back and applying himself, as is the norm in Tests.

Perhaps a more ruthless approach that is closer to his natural game will help him get over this slump. However, if his hopeless form persists, the West Indies might have to ponder playing Hope-less going forward.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Michael Steele

International cricket finally returns after months of suspension, with West Indies taking on England in the first of three Tests, before Pakistan travel to England for another series. While many ICC regulated protocols have been put in place, fans will still be excited to look at the development of the sport post the global pandemic.

The contest will see a first for many of those players, with West Indies bringing their youngest Test team ever for the tour of England. The team will be buoyed by the prospects of their challenge, having beaten England back at home in 2019. The onus of retaining the trophy for the first time since 1998 lies on the young guns as well as the following players:

Shai Hope

Shai Hope has been one of the most dependable batsmen for West Indies on many occasions. During his last tour of England in 2017, Hope scored a century in both innings against England as the Windies went on to seal an important five-wicket victory in the second Test to level the series.

The Windies batsmen looked shaky during the practice matches and Hope will need to be at his usual best from the get-go against the likes of James Anderson and Stuart Broad in order to ensure his side gets a favourable result in the series.

Alzarri Joseph

Alzarri Joseph is a rising star in the West Indian bowling line-up and has complemented the senior bowlers quite well.  In the nine Tests that he has played, he has picked up 25 wickets at an economy rate of 3.23 runs per over. He was part of the squad that last beat England in the Wisden Trophy, picking up crucial wickets for the Windies.

He has played four of his nine Tests against England but bowled less than 90 overs across seven innings, which makes the Windies pacer somewhat of a mystery factor to the English batsmen. 

Kemar Roach

One of the most dependable bowlers for West Indies, Kemar Roach has been a mainstay in the side for the last few years. In 56 Tests for the Windies, he has picked up 193 wickets at an economy rate of 3.13. He will need to be at his best on England's slow pitches as well, and his partnership with Shannon Gabriel will be crucial to the Windies' bowling line-up.

Meanwhile, Joe Root is not a part of the first Test, with the captaincy falling into the lap of Ben Stokes. England played their last Test back in January and will be buoyed by the return of a few of their injured players. They have a bag of experience in their squad, with the likes of Rory Burns and Dominic Sibley, as well as young talents like Sam Curran and Zak Crawley. However, the onus for their first victory since the global pandemic will fall on the following players:

Ben Stokes

Ben Stokes has established himself as a leader in the English dressing room since his heroics in the 2019 ICC Men’s World Cup on home soil. He will be raring to prove his mettle as a skipper against the Windies, and the onus to command the batting lineup in case of a collapse falls on the English all-rounder. Moreover, he will have to do the same for the bowling unit on Anderson and Broad and hope to churn out a victory for his side in the absence of Joe Root.

Ollie Pope          

Ollie Pope is one of the youngsters in the squad, and although he has just seven Tests under his belt, his prowess against short bowling makes him a dangerous unit in the English batting line-up. His record against short balls stands at 67 runs off the 54 while being dismissed only once. He also faced the likes of Ben Stokes and Jamie Overton on the final day of their warm-up match but came out unscathed.

Jofra Archer

Still only 25, Jofra Archer is already a world-cup winner with England. Although it seems like he has been around the scene for a while, he has made only seven Test appearances for England. However, during this time, he has picked up 30 wickets and commands a strong economy-rate of 3 RPO. He will be key to the England bowling unit, having already established himself as the best alternative to Anderson and Broad should the senior pair fail to perform.

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Feature image courtesy: AFP / Randy Brooks

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author's and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SportsAdda.

West Indies batsman Shai Hope is aiming to achieve a "turnaround" in his Test career now that he is back in England, the scene of his greatest triumph in the five-day format.

Three years ago Hope became the first batsman to score two hundreds in a first-class match at Headingley as his side recorded a stunning five-wicket win over the hosts in the second Test.

Yet those remain his only two centuries in 31 Tests, with Hope averaging a modest 27.23.

Read | West Indies quicks excite Estwick ahead of England Tests

That contrasts with an impressive average of 52.20 from 78 one-day internationals, suggesting he is no flash in the pan, and he is eager to boost his Test figures during next month's three-match series in England.

"You're going to be hard on yourself, especially when you know that you can get something done and it's not really portraying on your stats card," said Hope in a conference call Tuesday from Old Trafford.

The Manchester ground is the venue for the second and third Tests of a series to be held behind closed doors, which starts in Southampton on July 8.

"I just have to continue believing in myself and back my ability because I know I can get it done," he said.

Read | West Indies to debate taking the knee, says captain Holder

"The key is to make sure that I make use of these opportunities and do whatever I can to make the team win."

The 26-year-old Hope, who said "red ball is my favourite part of the game," struggled to explain the difference between his Test and one-day records.

"It's probably more of a mental thing," he said.  "You just get out more in Test cricket, it seems. Hopefully I can turn it around in this series and move on from there."

West Indies lost the 2017 series 2-1 but they hold the Wisden Trophy after beating England by the same scoreline in the Caribbean last year.

If they are to keep it however, they are going to need to give their impressive pace attack runs to play with.

Read | Holder urges West Indies to 'grasp' England chance

And the pressure on batsmen such as Hope and Kraigg Brathwaite to deliver will be even greater after Darren Bravo and Shimron Hetmyer declined to tour during the coronavirus pandemic.

"We're missing a few key players so it's very important for us as top-order batters to get those runs on the board, especially in the first part of the game," Hope said.

"As soon as you get those starts, you've got to make sure you capitalise and go big for the side."

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Lakruwan Wanniarachchi

The Indian T20 League auction is set to get underway on Thursday and franchises are expected to have proper plans in place to get valuable buys under the belt. Some of them will be on the look out for wicket-keepers and the likes of Alex Carey and Shai Hope are sure to generate a stirring interest after their recent displays.

Here we look at five wicket-keeper batsmen who could be on the radar of franchises.

Shai Hope

The West Indies opener is one of the most consistent batsmen in limited-overs cricket these days. While not considered a T20 player, Hope has the flair and substance to put up formidable partnerships at the top of the order and also doubles up as a good wicket-keeping option. Quite a few franchises have firepower at the top, yet no stability and it is here that someone like Hope could be a good pick.

Franchises that could benefit from picking him: Hyderabad, Punjab, Kolkata

Read | Indian T20 League auctions: Neesham, Marsh Jr. among those to watch out for

Glenn Phillips

The Kiwi wicket-keeper batsman became a name in the Super Smash in 2016/17 when he made 369 runs, including a 57-ball 116, in the season and topped the run charts. Phillips was a key player in 2018 in the Caribbean Premier League for Jamaica Tallahwahs, making 457 runs in 11 innings and finishing as the second highest run-getter. Phillips has an in-your-face attribute which could work well for most franchises.

Franchises that could benefit from picking him: Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai

Alex Carey

The Australian wicket-keeper batsman is a versatile T20 batsman and can switch between attack and defense as the situation demands. He has played six T20Is for Australia this year but hasn't had to bat even once. That said, his ODI exploits were so impressive that Carey could be a great pick in the auction. In the World Cup, he made 375 runs in 10 matches at 62.5 while scoring at 104.16. Later in the T20 Blast, Carey slammed 264 runs in 10 games for the Sussex Sharks, scoring at 152.6. He could be a very handy finisher for franchises and is a terrific keeper behind the stumps.

Franchises that could benefit from picking him: Rajasthan, Punjab, Hyderabad

Read | Indian T20 League auctions: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Priyam Garg the top U-19 picks

Mushfiqur Rahim

The Bangladesh middle-order batsman is a rather underrated T20 player. In 178 matches in the format, Rahim has 3617 runs at an average of 27.19 and strikes at a rate of 128. He has further effected 89 catches and 43 stumpings in the format. Capable of playing the sheet anchor role, Rahim has been often neglected in the auction but this time comes off the back of a match-winning 96* for Khulna Tigers in the Bangladesh Premier League. He could grab a few eyeballs this auction and be an experienced pick for many franchises.

Franchises that could benefit from picking him: Hyderabad, Delhi

Kedar Devdhar

A domestic wicket-keeper batsman who plays for Baroda, Kedar Devdhar is a rather understated player and could be in for a decent gig at the auction this time around. In 2018, he made a maiden hundred in the format for Baroda against Gujarat. In the 2019 Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament, Devdhar made 356 runs in 10 matches averaging close to 40 and scoring three half-centuries. The wicket-keeper batsman is a good option for a lot of teams this auction.

Franchises that could benefit from picking him: Delhi, Bangalore, Rajasthan

Feature image courtesy: AFP / STR

Pakistan made bold choices heading into the first Test by sitting out Yasir Shah and Fawad Alam, but the result proved to be a drab draw with the weather deciding Test cricket in Pakistan is not to its taste. Sri Lanka's grit and fight went in vain although given the surface, a result seemed improbable even without much rain. As we gear up for the second Test match at Karachi, the teams will want a full game and so would the fans who have been denied Test match action at home for a decade.

Watch out for: 

Abid Ali - The uproar surrounding Fawad Alam's exclusion - that's all the fervour around Fawad in the last decade - quickly died down as Abid Ali, on Test debut, hit a fine hundred. Incidentally, he had also hit a century on his ODI debut, making it a first for any cricketer. The 32-year old will be keenly watched as Pakistan settle in on an opening combination after a dreadful Australian tour.

Read | Indian T20 League auctions: When and where to watch

West Indies bite back makes series interesting

What was expected to be a one-sided series quickly turned tables as West Indies pulled off a win at Chepauk in the series opener. It was India's first ODI loss at the venue since 2012 and only the fourth overall ODI loss there. The loss means that India are 0-1 behind in the three-match series and this week could make way for some action with the skipper expected to come into action with some aggression, words and the other thing he makes, runs. 

Watch out for: 

Shimron Hetmyer - Shai Hope - Two terrific batsmen in prime form, Hope and Hetmyer were instrumental in giving the Windies a big win at Chennai. But do not put it down to a one-off instance. In 2018 at Vizag in the second ODI between these sides, Hope made 123 while Hetmyer slammed 94 as the game ended in a tie. Next game at Pune, as West Indies won, Hope made 95 and Hetmyer a handy cameo of 37 from the middle-order. The two will be expected to tee off yet again this week in the two remaining ODIs.

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