Cricket fans rejoice victory over India

Take out rallies to celebrate triumph over arch rivals; large screens set up at public places

KARACHI:

The metropolis resonated with fireworks and the traditional crackle of celebratory gunfire on the victory of Pakistan in the T20 Worldf Cup Match over the arch rival India.

Fans took out rallies to celebrate the triumph, while millions took to sharing memes and messages on the social media.

Cricket frenzy took the city by storm on Sunday as fans sat at home and public places to watch the T20 Cricket World Cup match between Pakistan and India.

Pakistani cricket fans donned the green uniform of their team to watch the match on large screens set up at various locations across the city to show thriller standoff between traditional rivals.

At many places, screens were placed on the orders of the Karachi Administrator Murtaza Wahab to entertain the people, giving an ambiance of being at a stadium.

These screens were set up at Hill Park and Safari Park in District East; at Beach View Park in District South and at Taleemi Bagh and Bi Amma Park in District Central. Besides the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, large screens were set up by various sports and cultural organisations and private educational institutions to show the matches.

These include Iqra University, Sir Syed University, Arts Council of Pakistan, and Karachi Hockey Association. Furthermore, many neighbourhoods pooled in to enjoy the match as a community, particularly in the apartment blocks.

Screens were set up at the street and neighbourhoods, while food and refreshments were also served for people enjoying the match.

Many local leaders and sports enthusiasts had even booked hugged orders of sweets for distribution in case of victory in the match against India.

On Saturday evening, youths carrying national flags patrolled the streets in different parts of the city and chanted slogans in favour of Pakistan.

Earlier in the day, the cricket fans and supporters in the metropolis on Sunday expressed their hope that the Pakistan team will thrash its arch rival Indian team.

Arsalan Ahmed, a student, while sharing his views on today's match said that being a Pakistani fan he does pray for the success of team green and its hard to wait to watch the encounter as it was going to take place in the evening.

Salman, a shopkeeper, said that it was a good omen that the matches between Pakistan and India were mostly scheduled on Sundays. He said that if the match between the two teams was scheduled except for Sunday then he himself be forced to close his shop for watching the match.

Akbar Imam, an amateur cricketer, said that he was counting ticks of the clock for the start of the match. He said that today, the time was passing very slow.

Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Syed Ali Haider Zaidi on Sunday had expressed hope that the Pakistan team's triumph in today's ICC Men's T20 World Cup match would hit India like a thunderbolt.

"I am very optimist about the Pakistan versus India match," he said talking to the media after attending a graduation ceremony of Alpha College.

The federal minister said that the match between Pakistan and India was always a matter of national He said that the people of both the countries become very passionate about cricket. However, Zaidi said, it is a cricket match, not war.

He said he was pinning fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi would perform well in today's match and give a surprise to India.