LAHORE: Pakistan cricket hungry fans defied fear. The jubilant spectators while shrugging off all security fears raised in wake of a failed suicide attack carried out during the Friday’s ODI thronged the Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday to watch the last ODI between Pakistan and Zimbabwe.

The suicide attack in the vicinity of the stadium had almost put the Zimbabwe tour at risk but the visiting Zimbabweans, who have become the first Test-playing nation to have visited Pakistan during the last over six years, stood firm to complete the tour after getting safety assurance from security officials.

The terrorist act have the local police making a new security plan by increasing the number of checkpoints which created hassle for fans, for no shuttle service has been arranged due to which the spectators had to cover a distance of about one kilometer and that too dotted by several security checkpoints.

The suicide attack on Friday had led to speculation that a slim crowd will turn up for the last ODI here despite the fact that tickets for the match had already been sold out. However, the cricket crazy fans proved all speculations wrong, for almost 30 per cent of the 27000-capacity stadium was filled even in the afternoon with the number kept on ballooning until the stadium reached its full capacity.

The crowd thanked Zimbabwe, touring Pakistan at a time when no country was willing to visit Pakistan due to security fears, for visiting Pakistan through banners inscribed with pro-cricket and pro-Zimbabwe slogans.

On the other hand, the Zimbabwe team, which will have to depart for Harare just three hours after the match, left their hotel for the stadium along with their luggage, for the visiting team will depart from the stadium instead of their hotel.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has already sent from the stadium the tourists’ luggage, passports and air tickets for boarding to get all things cleared before the visiting team reached the airport.

Published in Dawn, June 1st, 2015

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