The long wait ends as international cricket returns to Karachi

KARACHI: The long wait to see international cricketers in action for the fans in Karachi ended on Sunday evening, as West Indies took on Pakistan in the first of three-match T20I series at the National Stadium.

Karachiites were waiting for this moment desperately. And, it was evident in most of the domestic-cricket debates in last few months since the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) started taking measures to bring cricket back home and the earlier few matches remained Lahore-centered.

This series was also originally scheduled to be held in Lahore, but the PCB changed its mind and decided to give more opportunity to the fans in Karachi after the PSL final.

The enthusiasm didn’t match the level Karachiites expressed last Sunday during the PSL final between Islamabad United and Peshawar Zalmi and at least two enclosures – Nasimul Ghani and Iqbal Qasim – were almost without spectators. But the other enclosures had encouraging attendance.

The scorching heat was among the reasons that most spectators waited till sunset before coming to the stadium.

“Last time we came to the stadium at around 2:30pm, but later we realised that we came too early and gates remained open even till 7pm, so this time we came at around 6,” said Sana, who works for a bank.

The security, like for the PSL final, was fool-proof. While the players were provided head-of-state level security, it was also ensured that fans remain protected.

At least five security checkpoints were installed for the fans to go through before entering the stadium.

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“It is not irritating, maybe some arrangements to protect the spectators from heat would have made it smoother, but no complains over this,” said Tahir, who came to witness the game with his two children.

For security officials, the priority was to make the event secure, but they were equally excited to be associated with the cricket.

“We are here for security, but simultaneously we also want to enjoy the cricket. We want to celebrate with common spectators as well,” said Uzma – a police officer - who was on security duty at one of the enclosures.

The fans in Karachi, who waited the most to see international cricket come home, also got the most out of the moment as Pakistan dominated throughout in the game.

One hopes that the successful Pakistan vs West Indies series in Karachi will help Pakistan win the battle of perceptions in the international cricket arena and more teams will show willingness to visit the country.