attracting good crowds mostly from the South Asian population of the United Arab Emirates. The tournaments were organised by "The Cricketers Benefit Fund Series (CBFS)" which had been established in 1981 by Abdul Rahman Bukhatir, and whose main aim was to honour cricketers of the past and present generations from India and Pakistan, with benefit purses in recognition of their services to the game of cricket. The stadium initially started with a few limited seats and very modest facilities but by 2002 had a 17,000 capacity and floodlights. Since 2003 the increasingly crowded cricket calendar has precluded the holding of any major international matches at Sharjah although the stadium has been the venue for certain other matches, for example in the 2004 ICC Intercontinental Cup. It has also been used by the Afghanistan national team since 2010. In 2011, the Guinness Book of Records recorded the Sharjah stadium as hosting the greatest number of one-day matches. , 240 ODIs had been played at the ground. ICC Men's T20 World Cup The venue hosted 11 group-stage matches during 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup. Indian Premier League The UAE has hosted matches in the Indian Premier League, with matches being played on the ground on each occasion. The 2014 season was played in the UAE due to the 2014 Indian general election and parts of both the 2020 and 2021 season were played in the country due to the widespread outbreak of COVID-19 in India. Records T20Is On 24 November 2013, Samiullah Shinwari took a five wicket haul against Kenya. On 25 October 2021, Mujeeb Ur Rahman took a five wicket haul against Scotland. On 6 November 2021, Kagiso Rabada took a hat-trick against England in a 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup's super 12 Match. See also List of Test cricket grounds Rashid Alleem Premier League References Sport in Sharjah (city) Cricket grounds in the United Arab Emirates Test cricket grounds in the United Arab Emirates