Afghanistan is all set to take on South Africa in the upcoming three-match ODI series in the United Arab Emirates. All three matches of Afghanistan vs South Africa will be hosted by the Sharjah Cricket Stadium starting from 18 September.
This is the first time when AFG and RSA will face each other in the 50-overs bilateral series. Hashmatullah Shahidi will lead the Afghanistan squad ahead of the 3 ODI series against the Proteas. On the other side, South Africa will face Afghanistan under the leadership of Temba Bavuma.
After the 2023 Cricket World Cup, this is the first time South Africa is locking horns with Afghanistan. The series is scheduled for 18 September starts at 5:30 PM IST and will conclude with the third ODI on September 22 at Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
Here is everything to know about Sharjah Cricket Stadium including pitch & weather reports ahead of the AFG vs RSA 3-match ODI series.
So let’s take a look at the AFG vs SA venue Sharjah Cricket Stadium pitch, and the weather report ahead of the Afghanistan vs South Africa three ODI series.
Sharjah Cricket Stadium Overall Details
Originally built in 1980, Sharjah Cricket Stadium holds the record for hosting the most International matches, more than 300. Located in Sharjah, UAE, this stadium is one of the most dedicated ICC stadiums, hosting more ICC matches than any other stadium.
Since its establishment in 1982, Sharjah Cricket Stadium has been through a lot of construction and holds many facilities. The stadium has 27,000 capacity for the spectators. The stadium has two ends named – Pavilion End and Sharjah Club End. The stadium has a grass pitch and has shorter boundaries upto 65 meters long. This makes it a batter-friendly stadium. The boundary dimension for the Sharjah Cricket Stadium is 62 meters on the long wicket, 58 meters on the straight, and 65 meters on the mid-wicket.
The table shows an overview of Sharjah Cricket Stadium –
Sharjah Cricket Stadium Stats and Records | |||
Location | Sharjah, UAE | ||
Ends Name | Pavilion End, Sharjah Club End | ||
Capacity | 27,000 | ||
Shortest Boundary Distance | 58 | ||
Longest Boundary Distance | 65 | ||
Flood Lights | Yes | ||
Pitch | Grass |
Sharjah Cricket Stadium Pitch Report Ahead of AFG vs SA
With shorter boundaries, Sharjah Cricket Stadium is one of the best stadiums for high-scoring matches. However, in the shortest cricket format like ODI is not good for the batters to score 140 or 145 runs in the first inning. Looking at the stats, if the team’s score was not higher than 200 then there are chances all odds go to the bowling side. Its dry surface often favors the pacer and makes it difficult for batters to hit the shots, especially in the early and middle overs.
Sharjah Cricket Stadium ODI Records
So far, a total of 249 ODI matches have been played at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in the UAE. Out of 246, the team with batting first won 132 games and the bowling team became the winner in 115 matches. The average score on the ground is 225 runs in the first innings.
The table below shows all of Sharjah Cricket Stadium’s records and stats including average score, first match, last match, most runs, most wickets-
Sharjah Cricket Stadium ODI Records | |||
Total ODI Matches | 249 | ||
First Match | 06/04/1984 | ||
Last Match | 12/03/2024 | ||
Batting 1st Won | 132 | ||
Batting 2nd Won | 115 | ||
Highest Team Total | 364/7 PAK vs NZ in 2014 | ||
Lowest Team Total | 54 IND vs SL in 2000 | ||
Average Score | 225 | ||
Most Runs | Inzamam-ul-Haq (PAK)- 2464 runs | ||
Most Wickets | Wasim Akram (PAK) – 122 wickets |
Sharjah Cricket Stadium Pitch Weather Report Ahead of AFG vs SA
According to the weather report, it will be a sunny day tomorrow, perfect for the Afghanistan and South Africa 1st ODI match. Sharjah’s temperature will hover between 27°C to 37°C during the day making it one of the hot days. The sky will be clear with 49% humidity and zero percentage of precipitation. The winds will blow at 23 km/h.