Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium


Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium , abbreviated as ZAC Stadium and previously known as Bir Shrestha Shahid Ruhul Amin Stadium, is a cricket stadium located in the port city of Chittagong, in south-eastern Bangladesh. It became a Test cricket venue on 27 February 2006 when it hosted a Test match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. It hosted two group matches of the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup. It has a seating capacity of around 20,000. The stadium was initially named after Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury on 17 June 2001 by the Bangladesh Awami League government. It was renamed after Ruhul Amin by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party government in October 2001. It was returned to its original name in 2009 of Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium after Bangladesh Awami League returned to power.
Currently, it is the main cricket venue of the port city. Previously, the M. A. Aziz Stadium was the main cricket venue of Chittagong; however, it focuses on football now. It is also home to the Chittagong Vikings, the local franchise in the Bangladesh Premier League.

History

Situated about half-an-hour's drive outside the city centre, the Chittagong Divisional Stadium was one of the five purpose-built cricket grounds established in the run-up to the 2004 Under-19 World Cup. It was finally granted full international status in January 2006, ahead of Sri Lanka's tour to the country. The stadium itself is a concrete bowl set in acres of prime agricultural land, with a three-tier pavilion providing the focal point. The stadium provides views of beautiful lush trees, the port, and ships on the coast. It had floodlights installed prior to the world cup, only the fourth cricket ground in Bangladesh, giving the ability to host day/night cricket matches.

Notable players from Chittagong

Stats

Records

It was the second venue in Bangladesh of the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup, the other being Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium in Dhaka. It hosted two matches, the historic match between Bangladesh and England, where the home team nail-bitingly beat England, and the other being between the home side and Netherlands.
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