Pakistani cricket fans have roughly misplaced interest in the ICC Champions Trophy after the early exit of their workforce from the competitors and the onset of Ramadan.
On Saturday, there have been hardly a number of thousand individuals on the National Stadium right here for the England-South Africa match, and safety personnel posted on the venue heaved a sigh of reduction that the event was pretty much as good as over for them.
“It has been a hard and tense last two weeks for us so we are hugely relieved now. It was also relatively peaceful in the England match,” SSP Imran Jamil, deputed on the stadium, mentioned.
At least 7000 police personnel, paramilitary rangers and even some army models had been on obligation in Karachi for the Champions Trophy matches, which began on February 19 in Karachi.
But Jamil mentioned the work to offer state-level safety for the groups, officers, media and fans had begun earlier than the graduation of the mega occasion due to the three-nation event involving Pakistan, New Zealand and South Africa in Lahore and Karachi.
“Now the security personnel can get back to normal duties in Ramadan,” he mentioned.
Fariha and Faiza, two sisters who got here with a bunch of faculty associates on Saturday, mentioned with out Pakistan in competition the Champions Trophy was over for them.
“We came today because we had already purchased tickets for the match,” Faiza mentioned.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has introduced that each one spectators who introduced tickets for various enclosures will get full refunds for the 2 matches washed out in Rawalpindi.
The unhealthy information is that the fans who paid a premium for hospitality and gallery views will get no refunds.
Three matches in the event had been rain hit with the final one between Afghanistan and Australia additionally known as off in Lahore attributable to heavy rain.
Cricket journalist and analyst, Mahmood Riaz, mentioned the Champions Trophy had been a little bit of a let down due to the house team’s efficiency.
“We were hosting a big ICC event after so many years and people were excited but the team really let everyone down.” Tauseef Siddiqui, 65, has by no means missed any worldwide recreation on the National Stadium.
“Watching Pakistan lose twice to New Zealand in the tri-series final and on 19th March was a huge disappointment for us,” he mentioned.
He mentioned he had spent round 60,000 Pakistani rupees for buying tickets for himself and his pal for the matches in Karachi.
Experts consider that with Ramadan having began from Sunday, will probably be tough to carry in the crowds even in Lahore for the semi-final.
“Generally people stay at home and attend Taraweeh prayers after breaking fast in the first two weeks of Ramadan and they only start going out after Iftaar, after the first 15-20 days of the holy month,” a PCB official mentioned.
The PCB is even engaged on plans to offer free Iftar packing containers for the semi-final on the Gaddafi Stadium, similar to the Emirates cricket board has executed for the matches in Dubai.
“It would be a bummer if there are no sizeable crowds for the semi-final. Not a good advertisement for Pakistan cricket,” he mentioned.
Published – March 03, 2025 03:11 am IST
