No tickets, no problem

Locals rush to large screens and make special arrangements to watch the match

LAHORE: All cricket lovers were not fortunate enough to get their hands on tickets for the Independence Cup 2017, however they did not let this failure ruin their love for the game.

Many of them decided to watch the match at their homes or by gathering at their friends’ places to view the long-awaited encounter between Pakistan and the World XI in Lahore.



Speaking to The Express Tribune, Shahzad Ali, a student of the Punjab University said he and some of his friends waited for hours outside different branches of the designated bank to buy tickets to the match. “However, I couldn’t get the ticket. The same thing happened to my friends, who were also unable to get their hands on one. We decided that this setback should not stop us from enjoying the game. It is not every day that we get to see an international-level match.”

The friends then decided to have a get-together and watch the match. “We arranged a large-screen television and set it up at my place. My friends are arranging food and beverages for us so that we can enjoy the first match. We will watch all the three matches at my place,” Ali said.



Other cricket fans, who couldn’t get the tickets also made similar arrangements to watch the matches being held at the Gaddafi Stadium. Javaid owns a small shop and on Tuesday evening his friends gathered at his shop. When asked why he didn’t buy tickets and watch the encounter at the stadium, he said that he couldn’t afford to close down his business. But being a cricket fan, he said, “I have to watch the match. So we arranged a television and borrowed TV cable from a neighbour.”

Published in The Express Tribune, September 13^th, 2017.