Fans battle with police as ticket sale is mishandled
By Khalid H. Khan
KARACHI, March 7: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)'s novel idea of selling tickets through a private firm for the historic series between Pakistan and India turned into a total fiasco on the first day of sale at the National Stadium on Sunday.
A section of around 15,000 potential ticket-buyers clashed with police and other law-enforcing personnel after an inordinate delay in the opening of three booths caused tension and gradually led to an ugly situation.
In the ensuing melee, scores of people, including women, were hurt as police wielded batons in to disperse the agitated crowd. Angry fans threw stones, flower pots and parts of broken chairs within and outside the stadium. At least five people were badly injured in the scuffle, according to eye-witnesses.
Cricinfo, the online cricket service company assigned to handle sale of tickets, was scheduled to open its booths for the public for Saturday's first One-day International at this venue from 9.00am.
After a delay of about 90 minutes, the sale of tickets began, but it was abruptly ended after only 25 minutes when, according to eye-witnesses, some policemen posted around the booths barged in to seek tickets.
A large number of people were chased away and the stadium's gates were shut on the orders of the NSK-based PCB officials. Mediapersons, who had arrived at the stadium, were made to wait outside as police officials refused to open the gates to let them in.
Mir Hussain Ali, DCO Karachi, blamed the PCB for not involving the local association in organising such a crucial match. "Whenever international matches were played here in the past, the Karachi City Cricket Association was deeply involved in organizational matters. The KCCA has experienced manpower to handle these matters in an efficient manner.
"I can't understand why the PCB opted to do everything on its own," he asked. According to a rough estimate, only about 500 to 600 tickets were sold. But a PCB official claimed that around 2,000 tickets, worth Rs1.9 million, had been sold with 1368 tickets of the Asif Iqbal Enclosure in the denomination of Rs250 sold out on the opening day.
Some women braved the police action and staged a sit-in until they succeeded in buying tickets. However, most others were not so lucky. A number of them had come in buses from the interior of Sindh.
Aslam, a college student, was in tears when a policemen dragged him away. "I have come all the way from Baldia Town and arrived at the stadium at 6.30 in the morning. I am a big fan of Shoaib Akhtar, Shahid Afridi and Inzamam-ul-Haq and wanted to watch them.
"I don't know how on earth I will be able to purchase a ticket to see my heroes in action," he said. Another fan observed that there was a possibility that no tickets would be available for the public.
"That's why, the persons at the booth are not willing to sell tickets because it seems to me that there are no tickets for us." With Karachi allotted just one match against the Indians, there are doubts if the PCB would be able to host it successfully.
