The historic event of the final contest between Pakistan and Australia was not as smooth as PCB would have hoped as fans complained of not being able to enter the stadium in time.
Although the crowd of Lahore is known for its energy, the T20I between Australia and Pakistan seemed to witness low crowd attendance at the start. Despite the tickets being all sold out and the heat not being a factor in the night match, the Gaddafi Stadium was not as full initially as it was expected to be.
However, it was not the fans of Lahore who lacked enthusiasm but slight mismanagement on the part of the cricket board. Reportedly, a large number of spectators were present inside the main gate of the stadium waiting for their turn to enter the enclosures. The management was unable to facilitate the huge crowd in time and the match had to begin with fans still waiting outside.
Here are some of the reactions to the situation:
It was ultimately a full house at Gaddafi Stadium, which showcases that PCB and management involved in the process did a good job to facilitate the spectators in the end. It is pertinent to mention here that there are a number of security checks including Punjab Police and Military Intelligence to ensure there’s no untoward incident.
While the fans had to wait, it was partly their own fault because the inner and outer gates were open 3 hours prior to the start of the game. The fans rushed to the stadium after enjoying their Iftar because of Ramadan, which resulted in a large influx of people just before the start of the match and hence the rush.
From body search, ID verification, and tickets scanning, there are numerous measures in place so that there’s no mishap of any sort to mar the historic series, which is the reason some fans had to face slight delays while getting in. However, this is only for the good of Pakistan and its cricket so that other nations also visit the country for more high-profile series.
Responding to the situation, Mohammad Omar Shahid, Chief Communications Officer Bookme.pk, who looks after tickets validation, said:
“Keeping in view the security situation and the directions of law enforcement agencies and the government, PCB has mandated a number of checks including tickets validation for fans entering the stadium. It is for the safety of Pakistani cricket fans and it happens everywhere in the world. Security checks cannot be skipped because its too big a risk.”
PCB, however, has a tough task at hand to further streamline the process and make cricket more enjoyable for fans without any hiccups.