Night matches turn streets into sports arenas

Cricket favourite pastime for youngsters during Ramazan

RAWALPINDI:

Night cricket during Ramazan has started gaining momentum as it is the favourite pastime for youngsters.

With the advent of Ramazan, night-time cricket and badminton matches have started to thrive in streets, lanes and neighbourhoods in majority of the areas in the city, and streets that once wear a deserted look have come to life with youngster batsmen and bowlers trying to show their skills with the tape-ball.

Youngsters and children could be seen playing cricket and badminton matches under streetlights from 10 pm till dawn. These matches come with a price as well as citizens complain of sleepless nights because of the jeering of the raucous youth.

Roads, streets and lanes in several areas including Dhok Khabba, Dhok Elahi Bakhsh, Sadiqabad, Muslim Town, Pirwadhai, Dhok Hasso, Liaqat Bagh, Gawalmandi, Ganj Mandi and Bani Mohalla turn into sporting arenas and playgrounds after 10 pm. At day time, these roads and streets almost present a deserted look with thing transport on roads and a few shops open.

Markets also present a deserted look in the first week of Ramazan as a few people visit them because of fasting. However, some markets, business centres and shopkeepers up their shutters after iftar.

Youngsters Akhtar Sati and Yasir Humayun said that “every year, during Ramazan, we have floodlight cricket tournaments. This is a good opportunity, we play matches from 11 pm to 3 am after Taraweeh prayers. There are not enough playgrounds in the city so we play matches under the street lights”.

Youngsters have formed regular teams for these matches which are played till 3 am. Because of these night matches, a majority of citizens have become accustomed to waking up from Iftar to Sehri and instead sleep in day time after Sehri.

Citizens Shaukat Ali and Azkar Ahmed, both public servants said: “Our working hours are the same and the cricket matches do not allow us to sleep. While playing in the streets, the youth repeatedly hit the ball onto the windows and roofs of houses. They then ring the bell to retrieve the ball and they do not let us sleep. People who are sick also get disturbed. Those who want to play should chose grounds and main roads instead of streets and lanes.”

Published in The Express Tribune, April 9^th, 2022.