Pak v Zim — anticipation reaching a crescendo
Security tightened manifold as the African team’s arrival approaches.
Tickets are not yet sold out, but officials are reporting a surge in demand. PHOTO: AFP
LAHORE:
Excitement is building as international cricket returns to Pakistan, even in a small way with the two T20Is and three one-day matches against unglamorous Zimbabwe.
Six years after Sri Lanka abandoned their tour midway when their bus was attacked in Lahore, the same city will host African minnows Zimbabwe under high security involving 3,000 police and blanket aerial surveillance for a short series that Pakistan hopes will help end its sporting isolation.
Large banners featuring fast-bowler Wahab Riaz — one of the few bright spots from Pakistan’s mediocre World Cup campaign — festoon roadsides across Lahore.
“The last six years were unbearable,” said Test captain Misbahul Haq. “Our grounds were left deserted, fans were deprived and a new generation of players lost a chance of playing on home conditions before their own people.”
Forced to host home games in neutral venues like the UAE, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) estimates it has lost $120 million in TV rights and extra overheads.
Even hosting Zimbabwe will cost PCB more than $1 million, half of which is for the visitors’ fees and expenses. Not much of the outlay will be recouped by sponsorships and gate proceeds.
The PCB says it has “foolproof” security involving thousands of police to protect Zimbabwe as they shuttle between their five-star hotel and Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium.
The area around the venue will be cordoned off, with various security checkpoints for fans, and paramilitaries will watch the area around the clock with constant surveillance from rooftops and helicopters.
The players will not be allowed to leave their hotel without security and their movements will be restricted within the stadium. “It’s our first step towards the goal of reviving international cricket and we will leave nothing to chance to make this tour safe and successful,” said PCB Chairman Shaharyar Khan.
For players like Umar Akmal, Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq — all of whom have played more than 50 internationals — it will be their first chance to represent Pakistan at home.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 19th, 2015.
Excitement is building as international cricket returns to Pakistan, even in a small way with the two T20Is and three one-day matches against unglamorous Zimbabwe.
Six years after Sri Lanka abandoned their tour midway when their bus was attacked in Lahore, the same city will host African minnows Zimbabwe under high security involving 3,000 police and blanket aerial surveillance for a short series that Pakistan hopes will help end its sporting isolation.
Large banners featuring fast-bowler Wahab Riaz — one of the few bright spots from Pakistan’s mediocre World Cup campaign — festoon roadsides across Lahore.
“The last six years were unbearable,” said Test captain Misbahul Haq. “Our grounds were left deserted, fans were deprived and a new generation of players lost a chance of playing on home conditions before their own people.”
Forced to host home games in neutral venues like the UAE, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) estimates it has lost $120 million in TV rights and extra overheads.
Even hosting Zimbabwe will cost PCB more than $1 million, half of which is for the visitors’ fees and expenses. Not much of the outlay will be recouped by sponsorships and gate proceeds.
The PCB says it has “foolproof” security involving thousands of police to protect Zimbabwe as they shuttle between their five-star hotel and Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium.
The area around the venue will be cordoned off, with various security checkpoints for fans, and paramilitaries will watch the area around the clock with constant surveillance from rooftops and helicopters.
The players will not be allowed to leave their hotel without security and their movements will be restricted within the stadium. “It’s our first step towards the goal of reviving international cricket and we will leave nothing to chance to make this tour safe and successful,” said PCB Chairman Shaharyar Khan.
For players like Umar Akmal, Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq — all of whom have played more than 50 internationals — it will be their first chance to represent Pakistan at home.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 19th, 2015.