Karachi attracts international cricketers after nine years for PSL final

— Sindh CM inspects the security arrangements from a helicopter

— PCB chairman says Pakistan is ready for international cricket

KARACHI: With the gap of at least nine years, Karachi, the port city of Sindh province, finally attracted international cricketers for the final match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) on March 25.

After the decision of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) of holding the final match of PSL in the port city, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah himself supervised the arrangements for the final match and held a series of meeting to ensure all arrangements were made with no loopholes. The law enforcers also held rehearsals of their assignments for a couple of days to facilitate thousands of cricket lovers.

Karachi mayor also put up his efforts to clean the entire area of the stadium and the routes leading to the stadium. The city’s major roads, from airport to Hotel Metropole, where international players were staying, and the roads leading to national stadium were illuminated.

According to the details, a paramilitary force had taken over the control of the stadium’s security whereas 8,500 policemen and 1,600 traffic wardens were deployed across the city to assist
commuters in avoiding traffic jams and other hurdles. Around five designated places, three on University Road and one each at Kashmir Complex and Dalmia Road were reserved for parking and shuttle services. An empty ground near Urdu University, Sunday Bazaar just opposite Baitul Mukarram Masjid and an empty ground next to the Hakeem Saeed Park were among the shuttle services and parking zones situated on University Road.

The shuttle service dropped the spectators to three dropping zones, Aga Khan University Hospital’s Gate 3, Bahria University and the Expo Centre, which were about 200 to 300 metres from the stadium.

On Sunday afternoon, hundreds of cricket lovers started to approach the National Stadium to witness the major cricket event in the city. More than 33, 000 spectators reportedly witnessed the final match between Peshawar Zalmi and the Islamabad United in PSL 2018 final. All the doors of the stadium were closed at 7pm.

While speaking on the occasion, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Najam Sethi thanked the Sindh government and the law enforcement agencies for the outstanding security arrangements for the PSL final.

PCB chairman said that holding the matches in the country was an example to the fact that Pakistan was ready for the return of international cricket. The tournament did not belong to any political party, leader or state institution, but to the people of Pakistan, he added.

According to sources, at least 300 shuttles buses were on roads to ferry the people of Karachi from the designated parking zones to the national stadium. Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah himself inspected the arrangements for the match from a helicopter.

The performances of Aaima Baig, Farhan Saeed, Shehzad Roy, Strings, and Ali Zafar who energised the crowd inside the stadium.