The National Cricket Stadium was a cricket ground located in
Tangiers
Tangier ( ; ; ar, طنجة, Ṭanja) is a city in northwestern Morocco. It is on the Moroccan coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar, where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel. The town is the capi ...
,
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria t ...
. It was the only stadium in
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria t ...
that had been used for senior cricket.
Stadium hosted its first International Tournament from 12 to 21 August 2002.
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
,
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
and
Sri Lanka competed in a 50-overs one day
triangular series.
The
ICC has granted international status to the Tangier Cricket Stadium in
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria t ...
official approval that will allow it to become
North Africa
North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...
's first international cricket venue.
History
The stadium was constructed by
Dubai
Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...
-based construction tycoon Abdul Rahman Bukhatir as part of his plan to globalise cricket and spread it throughout the
Arab world
The Arab world ( ar, اَلْعَالَمُ الْعَرَبِيُّ '), formally the Arab homeland ( '), also known as the Arab nation ( '), the Arabsphere, or the Arab states, refers to a vast group of countries, mainly located in Western A ...
.
The ground was selected to hold the
2002 Morocco Cup
The 2002 Morocco Cup was a three-team cricket tournament which took place in Tangier, Morocco during August 2002. The tournament was the first occasion on which the highest level of international cricket had been played in North Africa. Pakistan, ...
, which was a tri-series
One Day International competition involving
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
,
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
and
Sri Lanka.
Seven One Day Internationals were played during the competition, with Sri Lanka eventually winning it.
This was the first time One Day Internationals had been held by an Affiliate member nation of the
International Cricket Council
The International Cricket Council (ICC) is the world governing body of cricket. Headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, its members are 108 national associations, with 12 Full Members and 96 Associate Members. Founded in 1909 as the ' ...
, though top-class cricket hasn't returned to the ground since.
In 2004,
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria t ...
played two matches there against the touring
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) is a cricket club founded in 1787 and based since 1814 at Lord's Cricket Ground, which it owns, in St John's Wood, London. The club was formerly the governing body of cricket retaining considerable global influence ...
.
Facilities
* Practice area: 6 turf wickets and 2 concrete wickets
* Stadium capacity: 5000
* Bowling machines
* Large changing rooms for players
* The ground is available for hire upon request
* Fitness Centre
* SPA: massage, Jacuzzi, beauty-saloon, aroma- therapy, reflexology
* Sports Centre with multiple usage
* 72 equipped suites
* 56 bungalows
* Restaurant
* Club House
Decline
The stadium has gradually fallen into decline, in doing so casting a shadow over the future of Moroccan Cricket.
Due to mismanagement and a lack of funds the stadium has not been maintained. The wicket that once existed is now a feeding ground for sheep, and there is a digger stuck in mud in the outfield. Cricket matches have not been played in the stadium since 2013.
List of Centuries
One Day Internationals
List of Five Wicket Hauls
One Day Internationals
References
External links
National Cricket Stadium, Tangierat
ESPNcricinfo
ESPN cricinfo (formerly known as Cricinfo or CricInfo) is a sports news website exclusively for the game of cricket. The site features news, articles, live coverage of cricket matches (including liveblogs and scorecards), and ''StatsGuru'', a ...
National Cricket Stadium, Tangierat CricketArchive
Cricket grounds in Morocco
Buildings and structures in Tangier
Sport in Tangier
2002 establishments in Morocco
{{Morocco-sports-venue-stub