Sharjah,  While many memorable matches have been played between India and Pakistan in Sharjah, heres the story of the first unofficial match played between the arch-rivals at this historical ground in 1981.

At that time, there was no grass pitch available in Sharjah. The match was played on a cement pitch, in which one team was led by Sunil Gavaskar while the other team was led by Javed Miandad.

Sharjah-based Abdul Rahman Bukhatir went to the famous NJV school in Karachi in the 1960s and 70s and became fascinated by the game of cricket. When he returned to the UAE to establish a vast trading empire, he simply brought cricket with him.

Bukhatir founded the Sharjah Cricket Association in 1974 and for the first time in February 1976, he invited a strong Pakistani team to play two 50-over games against a local XI; iIt was the first tour of Sharjah by any foreign team.