The National Stadium Karachi is Pakistan's premier cricket ground, capacity around 34,000, and the country's oldest major international venue. It sits in the Gulshan-e-Iqbal area of the city, a substantial oval of concrete grandstands surrounded by the urban sprawl that is characteristic of Karachi's middle-income districts. The ground has hosted Test cricket since 1955 and has been the scene of many of Pakistan's most significant cricket moments.
The pitch at Karachi has traditionally been one of the slower, lower-bounce surfaces in Pakistan, favouring batting and spin bowling over pace. Batting records have regularly been set here, and the ground has produced a number of draws of enormous tactical complexity. Getting tickets for international matches requires advance planning, particularly for Pakistan-India fixtures when they occur, though domestic cricket is more easily accessible. The surrounding area includes a decent concentration of food vendors and tea stalls that fill up on match days.