My experience of watching Pakistan v Australia at the 'Pindi Stadium

[Major]

Every country has its own culture when it comes to viewing the game inside the stadium. England offers you earpiece sky commentary, while Australia have pubs built inside the stadium. What ever your experience, me and many other fans would love to read your accounts.

 

[Major]

Here is my account of watching the Pakistan Vs Australia Day 3.

It wasn't my first time visiting Rawalpindi stadium, having visited the stadium since the Faysal bank t20 cups of 2014, I have learned and conditioned myself with what to expect when going to a Pakistani stadium.

I must say, each time, the process is more smoother than before.

As Rawalpindi stadium doesn't offer parking due to security reasons, I know about the paid parkings in the city that also give me direct access to the metro bus. Thankfully, the PCB and the Rawalpindi Govt had kept metro bus station opened. For security reasons they had closed the stop at Pindi stadium but allowed the stop 2 km before Pindi stadium one to be opened.

As I got off at the station at 9:45, the security check points had already started from 3.5 km away from the actual stadium. The security checkpoints were built on the service lane, thus the traffic on the main road wasnt disturbed.

Upon each security checkpoint, the policemen would swipe their hands across our body making sure no foreign item wasn't carried inside. Headphones, liquids, lighters, power-banks weren't allowed. There were atleast 10 checkpoints that I crossed, thus each time the policemen swiping their hands and making sure nothing gets through. Pindi boys being Pindi boys have made it a running joke at the stadium that some of them swipe their hands on us just for their own enjoyment .

Anyways, as you cross the final checkpoint, you have that feeling of finally making it. The aura of the Rawalpindi stadium is as such that its a petite stadium with green grass inside a city with very little greenery. Thus, upon entering it gives you paradise vibes. By 10:30, we had finally entered the encloursure.

As I entered the Sohail Tanvir enclosure with my friend, we spotted the Australian Goras in the enclosure whose pictures have been doing rounds on social media. My friend said lets sit near the goras maybe the cameras might catch us with them (chotay chotay khawab)

There were about 7 Australian foreigners in the enclosure, and I really felt proud that we had people from foreign land coming to Pindi stadium and watch the match with us in the cheapest enclosure of the stadium . Even goras prefer Rs.100 tickets over Rs.500 ones.

Alot of fans were going up to them and were getting their picture taken with them, and they kept on obliging. I think one of them was alittle annoyed with the soo many picture requests between the balls, but he didnt say anything and allowed the fans to click pics with them. I think this at the same time shows the hospitality and how we Pakistani fans like to make others feel important. So good on to Pindi fans!

Another thing which I really liked was that alot of females have started to come the stadium. Even in a patriarchal society, females were also coming in and that were good sights. Infact, there were even middle aged females that were also entering the stadium. I did witness one elderly women in the line with us, and yes she too did the 3.5 km walk.

But the best thing was that there were also children who had come with their mothers to watch the game. This is something I had never witnessed before, as mostly kids come with their fathers, but alot of mothers had also bought their children too. Thus, the crowd that had come was quite good and very diverse aswell. These sights arnt usual in Rawalpindi stadium.

The reason for having such a diverse age group crowd and a few foreigners was simple, AUSTRALIA was playing here. That's the effect that such a team has especially when its the full strength team that comes. People were there just to see the likes of Warner, Smith, Starc and Hazlewood. Even the likes of Shaheen, Rizwan, Babar have garner a fan following that people are now coming to watch.

Oh, and the cricket... The cricket was boring . As always, I had no idea what was happening, only getting a view when the bowlers threw or vary their speed of bowling followed by batsmen playing a shot. It was after I logged into Facebook that I realized that Sajid Khan was getting some good turn.

Yet I enjoy the game somewhat due to the crowd and being able to see these players very closely. The Australian fans had bought their Austral ian flags with them and upon every boundary they stood and fiercely waved that flag. PS, some local guy had bought in a Kashmiri flag

I had planned to stay their till lunch as had some other work to do aswell. As usual, the restaurants that do exists in the perimeters of the ground were shut down due to security reasons and the fans had to munch on expensive chips, ice cream, pepsi and chai.

As we left the stadium, Timmy and Binny were also roaming around, and were happily clicking pictures with the Pakistani fans. Some claimed to have gotten a picture with David Warner due to Timmy's resemblance to him.

Anyways, it was a good day, and hope fully more people get the opportunity to watch games from the stadium. Yes, the experience can improve if restaurants in the ground premises are operatable or have some kind of halal bars for fans to sit and enjoy halal pepsi and food.

Sitting in the ground I envied England fans in their Lords, Trent Bridge, Old Traffod Stadiums having those Sky commentary earpiece which allows them to understand what is happening in the game. Wish we can have such features aswell.

Btw, PCB have allowed vendors inside the enclosoure to sell Vuvuzelas, or what the locals call, peepreyaan. Go figure

​

-------------------------------------------


Alot other posters have been to the stadiums around the world, so would love to listen to their accounts.

Many posters from Pakpassion have been to Rawalpindi Stadium aswell for the recent Test, so plz do share your experience [MENTION=141922]ExpressPacer[/MENTION] [MENTION=147292]RedwoodOriginal[/MENTION]

 

[Babeikh]

Thanks so much for the insightful write up [MENTION=135038]Major[/MENTION]

Over the course of my life I have seen games in

England: Lords, Oval, Edgbaston, Chester Le Street, Headingly, Bristol
UAE: Sharjah
Pakistan: Lahore twice

Each has its own unique environment and vibe.

Lords is great because of the history but to be honest it is a bit snobby, ludicrously expensive to the point where you need a mortgage to get a packet of crisps. The stadium itself is beautiful but having been there several times to see test matches and ODIs, I haven't experienced an unforgettable atmosphere there. I prefer the Oval to be honest, though the Oval is also ludicrously expensive, a trillion pounds for a mars bar etc. Bristol and Chester Le Street were great, also enjoyed Headingly.

Sharjah is an iconic ground because of its history and links with Pakistan cricket. I went to many games there as a kid. Always enjoyed the atmosphere but haven't been recently.

The two games I have seen in Lahore - both ODIs, one against Bangladesh and one against South Africa. Absolutely unforgettable. An experience I will never forget being in a stadium where 99% of people are supporting Pakistan, the noise etc. The view could be better but I think people like to overplay this, I didn't think it was that bad.

 

[Maher96]

I went to Headingley, Leeds when Pakistan toured last year.

We were sat near the Player dressing room, It was a very hot day for UK standards.

My highlight of the day was, when me and my mate stood behind the stairs where the openers came out from, I shouted 'Rizwan, Rizwan quite loud, he turned and wave towards us two'.

That was quite a nice Fan boy experience.

Also made my stance clear to Misbah... which followed after WI series - he left !

 

[Concerned]

I have been to Dubai to watch T20 Pakistan Vs England. I was seated in the family area. It was a fairly dull experience. The stadium was around 30% full. There was limited public transport links outside the stadium. The positive is the food snacks were really nice.

I also watched test cricket, Pakistan Vs England. The stadium was full and with the fans really energetic. Majority of the fans are drinking beer but were relaxed compared to football fans after a drink.

I would love to see matches in Pakistan!

 

[Saj]

A nice read.

Good to hear that the security was spot on and you didn't have too many problems getting into the ground.

A lot of people have complained about the length of time it takes to get into grounds in Pakistan - hope they've sorted that issue out.

 

[hafeezrocks]

Checkpoints for as long as 3.5 KM, that's a long distance. Now I understand why many people in Pakistan are not so Keen to attention matches in the stadium. Hopefully security situation in the country will improve in the future and fans will not have to go through such troubles to get into the ground.

 

[Concerned]

Considering the Rawalpindi Stadiums are near full and the current test match is a dead one - credit to the fans for still turning up and in numbers despite the extra security checks in place.

 

[Concerned]

Here is my account of watching the Pakistan Vs Australia Day 3.

It wasn't my first time visiting Rawalpindi stadium, having visited the stadium since the Faysal bank t20 cups of 2014, I have learned and conditioned myself with what to expect when going to a Pakistani stadium.

I must say, each time, the process is more smoother than before.

As Rawalpindi stadium doesn't offer parking due to security reasons, I know about the paid parkings in the city that also give me direct access to the metro bus. Thankfully, the PCB and the Rawalpindi Govt had kept metro bus station opened. For security reasons they had closed the stop at Pindi stadium but allowed the stop 2 km before Pindi stadium one to be opened.

As I got off at the station at 9:45, the security check points had already started from 3.5 km away from the actual stadium. The security checkpoints were built on the service lane, thus the traffic on the main road wasnt disturbed.

Upon each security checkpoint, the policemen would swipe their hands across our body making sure no foreign item wasn't carried inside. Headphones, liquids, lighters, power-banks weren't allowed. There were atleast 10 checkpoints that I crossed, thus each time the policemen swiping their hands and making sure nothing gets through. Pindi boys being Pindi boys have made it a running joke at the stadium that some of them swipe their hands on us just for their own enjoyment .

Anyways, as you cross the final checkpoint, you have that feeling of finally making it. The aura of the Rawalpindi stadium is as such that its a petite stadium with green grass inside a city with very little greenery. Thus, upon entering it gives you paradise vibes. By 10:30, we had finally entered the encloursure.

As I entered the Sohail Tanvir enclosure with my friend, we spotted the Australian Goras in the enclosure whose pictures have been doing rounds on social media. My friend said lets sit near the goras maybe the cameras might catch us with them (chotay chotay khawab)

There were about 7 Australian foreigners in the enclosure, and I really felt proud that we had people from foreign land coming to Pindi stadium and watch the match with us in the cheapest enclosure of the stadium . Even goras prefer Rs.100 tickets over Rs.500 ones.

Alot of fans were going up to them and were getting their picture taken with them, and they kept on obliging. I think one of them was alittle annoyed with the soo many picture requests between the balls, but he didnt say anything and allowed the fans to click pics with them. I think this at the same time shows the hospitality and how we Pakistani fans like to make others feel important. So good on to Pindi fans!

Another thing which I really liked was that alot of females have started to come the stadium. Even in a patriarchal society, females were also coming in and that were good sights. Infact, there were even middle aged females that were also entering the stadium. I did witness one elderly women in the line with us, and yes she too did the 3.5 km walk.

But the best thing was that there were also children who had come with their mothers to watch the game. This is something I had never witnessed before, as mostly kids come with their fathers, but alot of mothers had also bought their children too. Thus, the crowd that had come was quite good and very diverse aswell. These sights arnt usual in Rawalpindi stadium.

The reason for having such a diverse age group crowd and a few foreigners was simple, AUSTRALIA was playing here. That's the effect that such a team has especially when its the full strength team that comes. People were there just to see the likes of Warner, Smith, Starc and Hazlewood. Even the likes of Shaheen, Rizwan, Babar have garner a fan following that people are now coming to watch.

Oh, and the cricket... The cricket was boring . As always, I had no idea what was happening, only getting a view when the bowlers threw or vary their speed of bowling followed by batsmen playing a shot. It was after I logged into Facebook that I realized that Sajid Khan was getting some good turn.

Yet I enjoy the game somewhat due to the crowd and being able to see these players very closely. The Australian fans had bought their Austral ian flags with them and upon every boundary they stood and fiercely waved that flag. PS, some local guy had bought in a Kashmiri flag

I had planned to stay their till lunch as had some other work to do aswell. As usual, the restaurants that do exists in the perimeters of the ground were shut down due to security reasons and the fans had to munch on expensive chips, ice cream, pepsi and chai.

As we left the stadium, Timmy and Binny were also roaming around, and were happily clicking pictures with the Pakistani fans. Some claimed to have gotten a picture with David Warner due to Timmy's resemblance to him.

Anyways, it was a good day, and hope fully more people get the opportunity to watch games from the stadium. Yes, the experience can improve if restaurants in the ground premises are operatable or have some kind of halal bars for fans to sit and enjoy halal pepsi and food.

Sitting in the ground I envied England fans in their Lords, Trent Bridge, Old Traffod Stadiums having those Sky commentary earpiece which allows them to understand what is happening in the game. Wish we can have such features aswell.

Btw, PCB have allowed vendors inside the enclosoure to sell Vuvuzelas, or what the locals call, peepreyaan. Go figure

View attachment 115210​

-------------------------------------------


Alot other posters have been to the stadiums around the world, so would love to listen to their accounts.

Many posters from Pakpassion have been to Rawalpindi Stadium aswell for the recent Test, so plz do share your experience [MENTION=141922]ExpressPacer[/MENTION] [MENTION=147292]RedwoodOriginal[/MENTION]

Perhaps the PCB should invest in some thermal imaging technology for the security checks - 10 check point seem too excessive!

 

[Pakpak]

Here is my account of watching the Pakistan Vs Australia Day 3.

It wasn't my first time visiting Rawalpindi stadium, having visited the stadium since the Faysal bank t20 cups of 2014, I have learned and conditioned myself with what to expect when going to a Pakistani stadium.

I must say, each time, the process is more smoother than before.

As Rawalpindi stadium doesn't offer parking due to security reasons, I know about the paid parkings in the city that also give me direct access to the metro bus. Thankfully, the PCB and the Rawalpindi Govt had kept metro bus station opened. For security reasons they had closed the stop at Pindi stadium but allowed the stop 2 km before Pindi stadium one to be opened.

As I got off at the station at 9:45, the security check points had already started from 3.5 km away from the actual stadium. The security checkpoints were built on the service lane, thus the traffic on the main road wasnt disturbed.

Upon each security checkpoint, the policemen would swipe their hands across our body making sure no foreign item wasn't carried inside. Headphones, liquids, lighters, power-banks weren't allowed. There were atleast 10 checkpoints that I crossed, thus each time the policemen swiping their hands and making sure nothing gets through. Pindi boys being Pindi boys have made it a running joke at the stadium that some of them swipe their hands on us just for their own enjoyment .

Anyways, as you cross the final checkpoint, you have that feeling of finally making it. The aura of the Rawalpindi stadium is as such that its a petite stadium with green grass inside a city with very little greenery. Thus, upon entering it gives you paradise vibes. By 10:30, we had finally entered the encloursure.

As I entered the Sohail Tanvir enclosure with my friend, we spotted the Australian Goras in the enclosure whose pictures have been doing rounds on social media. My friend said lets sit near the goras maybe the cameras might catch us with them (chotay chotay khawab)

There were about 7 Australian foreigners in the enclosure, and I really felt proud that we had people from foreign land coming to Pindi stadium and watch the match with us in the cheapest enclosure of the stadium . Even goras prefer Rs.100 tickets over Rs.500 ones.

Alot of fans were going up to them and were getting their picture taken with them, and they kept on obliging. I think one of them was alittle annoyed with the soo many picture requests between the balls, but he didnt say anything and allowed the fans to click pics with them. I think this at the same time shows the hospitality and how we Pakistani fans like to make others feel important. So good on to Pindi fans!

Another thing which I really liked was that alot of females have started to come the stadium. Even in a patriarchal society, females were also coming in and that were good sights. Infact, there were even middle aged females that were also entering the stadium. I did witness one elderly women in the line with us, and yes she too did the 3.5 km walk.

But the best thing was that there were also children who had come with their mothers to watch the game. This is something I had never witnessed before, as mostly kids come with their fathers, but alot of mothers had also bought their children too. Thus, the crowd that had come was quite good and very diverse aswell. These sights arnt usual in Rawalpindi stadium.

The reason for having such a diverse age group crowd and a few foreigners was simple, AUSTRALIA was playing here. That's the effect that such a team has especially when its the full strength team that comes. People were there just to see the likes of Warner, Smith, Starc and Hazlewood. Even the likes of Shaheen, Rizwan, Babar have garner a fan following that people are now coming to watch.

Oh, and the cricket... The cricket was boring . As always, I had no idea what was happening, only getting a view when the bowlers threw or vary their speed of bowling followed by batsmen playing a shot. It was after I logged into Facebook that I realized that Sajid Khan was getting some good turn.

Yet I enjoy the game somewhat due to the crowd and being able to see these players very closely. The Australian fans had bought their Austral ian flags with them and upon every boundary they stood and fiercely waved that flag. PS, some local guy had bought in a Kashmiri flag

I had planned to stay their till lunch as had some other work to do aswell. As usual, the restaurants that do exists in the perimeters of the ground were shut down due to security reasons and the fans had to munch on expensive chips, ice cream, pepsi and chai.

As we left the stadium, Timmy and Binny were also roaming around, and were happily clicking pictures with the Pakistani fans. Some claimed to have gotten a picture with David Warner due to Timmy's resemblance to him.

Anyways, it was a good day, and hope fully more people get the opportunity to watch games from the stadium. Yes, the experience can improve if restaurants in the ground premises are operatable or have some kind of halal bars for fans to sit and enjoy halal pepsi and food.

Sitting in the ground I envied England fans in their Lords, Trent Bridge, Old Traffod Stadiums having those Sky commentary earpiece which allows them to understand what is happening in the game. Wish we can have such features aswell.

Btw, PCB have allowed vendors inside the enclosoure to sell Vuvuzelas, or what the locals call, peepreyaan. Go figure

View attachment 115210​

-------------------------------------------


Alot other posters have been to the stadiums around the world, so would love to listen to their accounts.

Many posters from Pakpassion have been to Rawalpindi Stadium aswell for the recent Test, so plz do share your experience [MENTION=141922]ExpressPacer[/MENTION] [MENTION=147292]RedwoodOriginal[/MENTION]

Fantastic read. Glad you had a good time. My only time in a Pakistani ground was back in 2000 or 1999 when England came to Pakistan. I am glad to see though security isn't lightly taken

 

[aqeelPK]

I attended Day 1 & 2. Had tickets for all days but gave away day 3,4,5 tickets to friends. Overall experience was much better as compared to SL test & the PSL. There were 11 check points in all but attitude of policemen was really very nice. They were chit chatting with fans in queues & tried their best to make fans feel easy there. I remember attending matches at pindi stadium before security issues, back then you literally had to cross lathi charges to get inside due to over crowding.
One thing different I noticed was the large number of kids & females in attendance & I was truly amazed by the cricket knowledge level of kids.
The best part of my experience was when I met a a group of fans who travelled all the way from FATA. Hearing their stories through war on terror & passion about cricket literally brought tears to my eyes. You guys have no idea what those ppl have went through past 2 decades & how many sacrifices our Army made to normalize their life.
I had a chance to meet with law minister of Punjab today. Summary is, there is no impact of peshawar incident on the tour & govt is fully aware of problems faced by the fans & is already doing its work to resolve issues for england tour.

 

[HappyWarsFan]

It's good to know that security is being taken seriously in practice. I was slightly concerned about the police etc being lazy about it.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Here is my account of watching the Pakistan Vs Australia Day 3.

It wasn't my first time visiting Rawalpindi stadium, having visited the stadium since the Faysal bank t20 cups of 2014, I have learned and conditioned myself with what to expect when going to a Pakistani stadium.

I must say, each time, the process is more smoother than before.

As Rawalpindi stadium doesn't offer parking due to security reasons, I know about the paid parkings in the city that also give me direct access to the metro bus. Thankfully, the PCB and the Rawalpindi Govt had kept metro bus station opened. For security reasons they had closed the stop at Pindi stadium but allowed the stop 2 km before Pindi stadium one to be opened.

As I got off at the station at 9:45, the security check points had already started from 3.5 km away from the actual stadium. The security checkpoints were built on the service lane, thus the traffic on the main road wasnt disturbed.

Upon each security checkpoint, the policemen would swipe their hands across our body making sure no foreign item wasn't carried inside. Headphones, liquids, lighters, power-banks weren't allowed. There were atleast 10 checkpoints that I crossed, thus each time the policemen swiping their hands and making sure nothing gets through. Pindi boys being Pindi boys have made it a running joke at the stadium that some of them swipe their hands on us just for their own enjoyment .

Anyways, as you cross the final checkpoint, you have that feeling of finally making it. The aura of the Rawalpindi stadium is as such that its a petite stadium with green grass inside a city with very little greenery. Thus, upon entering it gives you paradise vibes. By 10:30, we had finally entered the encloursure.

As I entered the Sohail Tanvir enclosure with my friend, we spotted the Australian Goras in the enclosure whose pictures have been doing rounds on social media. My friend said lets sit near the goras maybe the cameras might catch us with them (chotay chotay khawab)

There were about 7 Australian foreigners in the enclosure, and I really felt proud that we had people from foreign land coming to Pindi stadium and watch the match with us in the cheapest enclosure of the stadium . Even goras prefer Rs.100 tickets over Rs.500 ones.

Alot of fans were going up to them and were getting their picture taken with them, and they kept on obliging. I think one of them was alittle annoyed with the soo many picture requests between the balls, but he didnt say anything and allowed the fans to click pics with them. I think this at the same time shows the hospitality and how we Pakistani fans like to make others feel important. So good on to Pindi fans!

Another thing which I really liked was that alot of females have started to come the stadium. Even in a patriarchal society, females were also coming in and that were good sights. Infact, there were even middle aged females that were also entering the stadium. I did witness one elderly women in the line with us, and yes she too did the 3.5 km walk.

But the best thing was that there were also children who had come with their mothers to watch the game. This is something I had never witnessed before, as mostly kids come with their fathers, but alot of mothers had also bought their children too. Thus, the crowd that had come was quite good and very diverse aswell. These sights arnt usual in Rawalpindi stadium.

The reason for having such a diverse age group crowd and a few foreigners was simple, AUSTRALIA was playing here. That's the effect that such a team has especially when its the full strength team that comes. People were there just to see the likes of Warner, Smith, Starc and Hazlewood. Even the likes of Shaheen, Rizwan, Babar have garner a fan following that people are now coming to watch.

Oh, and the cricket... The cricket was boring . As always, I had no idea what was happening, only getting a view when the bowlers threw or vary their speed of bowling followed by batsmen playing a shot. It was after I logged into Facebook that I realized that Sajid Khan was getting some good turn.

Yet I enjoy the game somewhat due to the crowd and being able to see these players very closely. The Australian fans had bought their Austral ian flags with them and upon every boundary they stood and fiercely waved that flag. PS, some local guy had bought in a Kashmiri flag

I had planned to stay their till lunch as had some other work to do aswell. As usual, the restaurants that do exists in the perimeters of the ground were shut down due to security reasons and the fans had to munch on expensive chips, ice cream, pepsi and chai.

As we left the stadium, Timmy and Binny were also roaming around, and were happily clicking pictures with the Pakistani fans. Some claimed to have gotten a picture with David Warner due to Timmy's resemblance to him.

Anyways, it was a good day, and hope fully more people get the opportunity to watch games from the stadium. Yes, the experience can improve if restaurants in the ground premises are operatable or have some kind of halal bars for fans to sit and enjoy halal pepsi and food.

Sitting in the ground I envied England fans in their Lords, Trent Bridge, Old Traffod Stadiums having those Sky commentary earpiece which allows them to understand what is happening in the game. Wish we can have such features aswell.

Btw, PCB have allowed vendors inside the enclosoure to sell Vuvuzelas, or what the locals call, peepreyaan. Go figure

View attachment 115210​

-------------------------------------------


Alot other posters have been to the stadiums around the world, so would love to listen to their accounts.

Many posters from Pakpassion have been to Rawalpindi Stadium aswell for the recent Test, so plz do share your experience [MENTION=141922]ExpressPacer[/MENTION] [MENTION=147292]RedwoodOriginal[/MENTION]

I went on Day 2 and got tickets for tomorrow and Day 5 too. I was sitting in the Imran Khan enclosure which literally has the best seats money can buy along with Javed Miandad. My experience was far better than yours (from a cricket POV) because I got in during the second session and got to witness not only a sublime Azhar Ali batting performance but also an electric crowd and the most perfect weather you can imagine for test cricket.

Here are some thoughts I had:

- Kinda amazed at how much the crowd hated Imam. This guy had so much heat even after scoring a hundred and no joke, people were cheering and celebrating when he got out. Routine 'parchi...parchi' chants throughout. Babar though had the exact opposite reactions and the crowd was chanting his name in unison before he even came to the crease.

- Speaking of which, got legit chills when he came out to bat yesterday because the atmosphere and anticipation was so electric. It was something you had to truly feel and witness. Because I don't think the TV could have done the moment justice. And when he hit that first straight drive the crowd went absolutely bananas.

- Azhar had very positive reactions from the crowd. But nothing like what Babar got. Biggest pops he got were when he deposited Lyon over cow corner. Some Ajju bhai chants from the smart fans in my enclosure and general respect from pretty much everyone, but nothing close to Babar's reactions.

- From a non-cricketing POV, I thought the whole thing was very well-organized as compared to last time despite the long walk and security checks...which sadly are necessary.

- I went with a friend who was watching a live cricket match for the first time and she enjoyed the experience quite a bit aswell. Unfortunately we couldn't stay for long as we had plans later but honestly I personally couldn't have asked for a better session of test cricket to watch live.

- As far as viewing goes, I would say Pindi Stadium is probably the best among all Pakistani stadiums eventhough you can't see alot...especially if you are sitting in the cheap seats. But it is nothing close to Lahore, which is by far the worst in this regard. But then again, you go to the stadium for the atmosphere and the feel of it all more than anything else.

- My hate for Vuvuzelas has reached a fever-point at this point. They are so annoying, unbearable and should be banned.

- I do wish PCB would strike some kind of a deal with Savour Foods where you can buy Pulao inside the stadium because it was heartwrenching for me that despite being built located literally outside the stadium, I couldn't eat that delicious pulao as it was closed for security reasons

Enjoyed reading your write-up btw and comparing it to my experience. Gonna go for the ODIs aswell. Which I expect will have a completely different feel to them.

 

[HappyWarsFan]

You guys experiences sound great. Islamabad/Rawalpindi is my home city and I haven't been there since I was a baby. I would love to visit and watch a cricket game one day.

 

[Runner Up]

Good read. How is the weather right now is it raining?

 

[aqeelPK]

Good read. How is the weather right now is it raining?

It's been raining heavily & continuously since past 8 hours & will continue so for another 8 hours

 

[PakLFC]

From what I have been reading the Aussie players are loving Pak. Music to my ears

 

[moghul]

Very nice post , thanks for sharing your experience .

I watched 2005 ODI against England at this stadium with my family , had bought the ticket online . Stadium was jam packed and I enjoyed the experience . Imran Khan with his two boys was still at the row in front of me.

 

[shaz619]

POTW, great write up [MENTION=135038]Major[/MENTION] Insightful to read, glad you had a decent experience overall despite some of the hoops. Hopefully you guys can get more options with the snacks and drinks

I’ve been to most grounds in England besides Cardiff, Lords and Old Trafford.

Edgbaston and Trenr Bridge always have a tremendous atmosphere, general facilities are great at both grounds but I love Edgbaston due to overall convenience in and out the ground. Interestingly I’ve never had a sky earpiece, I feel it can at times defeat the purpose of being there and taking it all in but I may get one next time

 

[ElRaja]

great read, good to see pindi crowd enjoying themselves. if u can get families and women in then it shows that peoples attitudes towards watching the game is changing.

 

[wrongun]

Thanks for the glimpse from inside the stadium- just a shame the cricket wasn't exciting. I hope all the fans come back again.

 

[hoshiarpurexpress]

I have been to the ground live to see below Test matches..

1. India vs NZ, Mohali in 2003 NZ tour of India, 2nd Test Match. Saw Virendar Sehwag's century.

2. India vs Pakistan, Lahore in 2004, 2nd Test First Day, Yuvraj came after top order crumble and scored a century.

3. India vs Bangladesh, 2017 in Hyderabad, 3rd or 4th day(can't recall).. Saw Shakib and Mushfiqur bat,
Had a very good side on view of the centre and Virat Kohli as usual was very animated and egging on the crowd from slips. Fantastic atmosphere.

4. Boxing Day Ashes Test, MCG, in 2017, Third day I believe where Cook Nudged to a Double century. It was boring cricket on dead pitch but the atmosphere was fantastic. A few beers help plus the Barmy Army was on full song with Australian crowd also giving them back.

5. Boxing Day, MCG 2018, India vs Australia 1st day, Mayank's fantastic debut and Pujara and Kohli batting till end of the day. Every time Kohli came on strike Australian crowd booed him and Indian crowd cheered him. Saw Hazlewood, Cummins and Starc up close near the boundary and my family back home in India saw a glimpse of me on TV and called me immediately. Man these 3 blokes are tall and fit and strong.

6.Boxing Day, MCG 2019, Historic Test between NZ and Australia as Kiwis were playing in MCG after 30 odd years. Fantastic crowd, lot of Kiwis turned up(16,000 to 20,000 of them). Trent Boult got Joe Burns early but Then Aussies dominated rest of the day.

In terms of experience, MCG was the best. Easy access, lots and lots of facilities, though food and drinks are very expensive. Minimal security check and in 2018 I was living in the city so I literally walked to the stadium.

In Mohali and Hyderabad, stadiums are bit outside the main city, but the entrance system was pretty smooth and well organised and only one security gate check. Lot of good food options.

Lahore in 2004, I think there were 4-5 security checks during entrance and walk of about 1KM, but it was pretty smooth. I was with my Dad and we were made to feel welcome by everyone around us. Also Pakistan dominated the proceedings that day, so that also helped i guess.
Food was really good inside the stadium. I cannot forget the Chicken Samosas I had there. That was first time I had such a samosa as in India it is a vegetarian dish. Simply awesome with a bottle of Pepsi.

Have not seen a single ODI/T20I game in stadium and never will, as these are fast paced and I don't think I will understand what is going on inside a stadium.I prefer watching such games at home on TV.

I have seen Valencia vs Bayern Munich Champions league game in Valencia stadium in Spain and that too was very fast and I could not understand a single thing.

Watching a Test Match day is highly recommended, as there is a whole day and lot of sub plots and pace of the game is such that you can follow a bit. I can't imagine how frantic T20I game will be.


I want to see a day of Test Match in England once in my life...And Hopefully it does not rain.
Let's see how that pans out.

 

[hoshiarpurexpress]

Every country has its own culture when it comes to viewing the game inside the stadium. England offers you earpiece sky commentary, while Australia have pubs built inside the stadium. What ever your experience, me and many other fans would love to read your accounts.

All Australian stadiums have similar facilities. But the entry and exit is pretty smooth.
Food and Drinks are super expensive though, but MCG/Gabba are very near the CBD so it evens out.

 

[zacattakk]

3.5 km walk to get to the stadium seems excessive.

 

[ExpressPacer]

I went on Day 1 of the Rawalpindi Test and I plan on going today (Day 4) at some point.

I had an absolutely amazing time despite the fact that it took me around 3 hours to get into the stadium because of the security checks. Apparently, I had gone to the stadium at the worst possible time and others had a much smoother experience getting in. I don't know... Anyway, as painful as it was, it was immediately worth it because the stadium had such a wonderful atmosphere.

I was thoroughly surprised and impressed at the quality of the stadium and how close the enclosures were to the ground/park - you could see everything very clearly.

I also found that the crowd was brilliant and very supportive. They cheered Australia like it was the home team and people were nice to talk to in general.

I have seen games at Eden Park in Auckland, Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Bay Oval in Tauranga and the stadium in Hamilton. Best experience so far was the ground in Tauranga because of the fact that you're literally sitting on embankments and the overall experience is electric. Best cricket view wise experience was Eden Park and my worst experience was Gaddafi stadium in Lahore - you are so far away from the action that you cannot make out a thing.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

I went on Day 1 of the Rawalpindi Test and I plan on going today (Day 4) at some point.

I had an absolutely amazing time despite the fact that it took me around 3 hours to get into the stadium because of the security checks. Apparently, I had gone to the stadium at the worst possible time and others had a much smoother experience getting in. I don't know... Anyway, as painful as it was, it was immediately worth it because the stadium had such a wonderful atmosphere.

I was thoroughly surprised and impressed at the quality of the stadium and how close the enclosures were to the ground/park - you could see everything very clearly.

I also found that the crowd was brilliant and very supportive. They cheered Australia like it was the home team and people were nice to talk to in general.

I have seen games at Eden Park in Auckland, Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Bay Oval in Tauranga and the stadium in Hamilton. Best experience so far was the ground in Tauranga because of the fact that you're literally sitting on embankments and the overall experience is electric. Best cricket view wise experience was Eden Park and my worst experience was Gaddafi stadium in Lahore - you are so far away from the action that you cannot make out a thing.

What time did you go at on Day 1?

 

[wrongun]

I went on Day 1 of the Rawalpindi Test and I plan on going today (Day 4) at some point.

I had an absolutely amazing time despite the fact that it took me around 3 hours to get into the stadium because of the security checks. Apparently, I had gone to the stadium at the worst possible time and others had a much smoother experience getting in. I don't know... Anyway, as painful as it was, it was immediately worth it because the stadium had such a wonderful atmosphere.

I was thoroughly surprised and impressed at the quality of the stadium and how close the enclosures were to the ground/park - you could see everything very clearly.

I also found that the crowd was brilliant and very supportive. They cheered Australia like it was the home team and people were nice to talk to in general.

I have seen games at Eden Park in Auckland, Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Bay Oval in Tauranga and the stadium in Hamilton. Best experience so far was the ground in Tauranga because of the fact that you're literally sitting on embankments and the overall experience is electric. Best cricket view wise experience was Eden Park and my worst experience was Gaddafi stadium in Lahore - you are so far away from the action that you cannot make out a thing.

Sitting on the grass in NZ is a dream of mine- like the stories my Dad tells of sitting on the grassy hill at the SCG (stands seating now) relaxing & enjoying the day.

The noise & excitement of the Pakistan crowd came through the telecast loud and strong. Special day I hope, no matter the scores.

I've been to SCG, MCG, Canberra, Gabba, Adelaide + Wankhede and the best are MCG for sheer noise/experience (easy 15 min walk into ground, bars & restaurants all inside + outside & allowed to come in & out but that 80 000 people ROAR at times), Adelaide for the same + day/night pink ball changes to a even more festive atmosphere of what was previously our dullest Test (daytime pitch was Pindi but at least broke up late) and Wankhede for fun & interaction with brilliant Indian fans & public + a quality game (2004) and just need to be open minded about the way people enjoy cricket in different places. There was no pampering in Wankhede in our stand but at least we had shade!.

 

[Major]

Thanks for reading guys.

I would be going again for odis and t20. Have never watched an odi in stadium or an international t20 aswell.

My mother showed interest to go to the t20 game, but i dont think she would be able to walk that much

Anyone know if there is seperate entry for senior citizens?

 

[Varun]

Good to see Pakistani fans enjoying a stadium experience in their own country again.

Now just tell the curators to make good pitches please!

 

[ExpressPacer]

What time did you go at on Day 1?

I reached Stadium Road at 10 AM. I presumed that it would take about an hour to get in but it literally took me 3 hours. However, I later heard that others were able to get in within 20 minutes at 1 PM or 7-8 AM.

 

[ExpressPacer]

Good to see Pakistani fans enjoying a stadium experience in their own country again.

Now just tell the curators to make good pitches please!

Its brilliant man. I thoroughly enjoyed the intimate feeling of the Pindi stadium.

 

[ExpressPacer]

Sitting on the grass in NZ is a dream of mine- like the stories my Dad tells of sitting on the grassy hill at the SCG (stands seating now) relaxing & enjoying the day.

The noise & excitement of the Pakistan crowd came through the telecast loud and strong. Special day I hope, no matter the scores.

I've been to SCG, MCG, Canberra, Gabba, Adelaide + Wankhede and the best are MCG for sheer noise/experience (easy 15 min walk into ground, bars & restaurants all inside + outside & allowed to come in & out but that 80 000 people ROAR at times), Adelaide for the same + day/night pink ball changes to a even more festive atmosphere of what was previously our dullest Test (daytime pitch was Pindi but at least broke up late) and Wankhede for fun & interaction with brilliant Indian fans & public + a quality game (2004) and just need to be open minded about the way people enjoy cricket in different places. There was no pampering in Wankhede in our stand but at least we had shade!.

Honestly, it was a wonderful experience watching that game in Tauranga. I think I may have been the only Pakistan fan.

As for the MCG, I intend to go watch the Pakistan vs India game. I have heard too many things about the MCG to miss out on such a spectacular contest at the Australian home of cricket. However, I am yet to apply for a visa to Australia, which I am sure will be a pain in the behind.

 

[ExpressPacer]

Thanks for reading guys.

I would be going again for odis and t20. Have never watched an odi in stadium or an international t20 aswell.

My mother showed interest to go to the t20 game, but i dont think she would be able to walk that much

Anyone know if there is seperate entry for senior citizens?

I know that there was one for the disabled.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

I reached Stadium Road at 10 AM. I presumed that it would take about an hour to get in but it literally took me 3 hours. However, I later heard that others were able to get in within 20 minutes at 1 PM or 7-8 AM.

Yeah didn't take me long to get in on Day 2. I came in during the second session.

Will keep this in mind for tomorrow.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Good to see Pakistani fans enjoying a stadium experience in their own country again.

Now just tell the curators to make good pitches please!

Pitches for the Sri Lanka and South Africa series were fairly good. They played to Pakistan's strengths but also had something for fast-bowlers and batsmen in general, if they worked hard. But the pitch dished out for this test is an utterly puzzling one. Because it offers Pakistan no real advantage over Australia. There should have been spin and reverse-swing from Day 3. But we are at Day 4 and so far there has been absolutely nothing for the bowlers.

 

[Major]

I attended Day 1 & 2. Had tickets for all days but gave away day 3,4,5 tickets to friends. Overall experience was much better as compared to SL test & the PSL. There were 11 check points in all but attitude of policemen was really very nice. They were chit chatting with fans in queues & tried their best to make fans feel easy there. I remember attending matches at pindi stadium before security issues, back then you literally had to cross lathi charges to get inside due to over crowding.
One thing different I noticed was the large number of kids & females in attendance & I was truly amazed by the cricket knowledge level of kids.
The best part of my experience was when I met a a group of fans who travelled all the way from FATA. Hearing their stories through war on terror & passion about cricket literally brought tears to my eyes. You guys have no idea what those ppl have went through past 2 decades & how many sacrifices our Army made to normalize their life.
I had a chance to meet with law minister of Punjab today. Summary is, there is no impact of peshawar incident on the tour & govt is fully aware of problems faced by the fans & is already doing its work to resolve issues for england tour.

haha yess the lathi charge days.... We once broke the gates of pindi gate to enter the main vip enclousure which pcb had closed as it oversold tickets. They had bought in the police to do lathi charge on the crowd, but the crowd fought back

 

[aqeelPK]

haha yess the lathi charge days.... We once broke the gates of pindi gate to enter the main vip enclousure which pcb had closed as it oversold tickets. They had bought in the police to do lathi charge on the crowd, but the crowd fought back

South Africa test match at pindi 1997/98 was the craziest at pindi stadium. Queen Elizabeth also attended that match. Murree road & double road were literally a battlefield at the time when she arrived. Fans & law enforcement agencies were literally fighting for the territorial control. Tear gas, shelling, lathis, stone pelting, petrol bombs oh God, thank God we did not have cameras back then.

 

[Markhor]

Enjoyed reading these posts. You guys deserved a better pitch, but still you saw a history making match.

I've been to Headingley a few times, first time was the 2006 Test and saw Kamran Akmal drop some dollies.

 

[Saj]

I think some of us outside Pakistan don't appreciate the efforts the guys in Pakistan make just to watch some live cricket in their homeland.

Bravo to all of you guys who attend matches at home, especially Test matches.

 

[A.A.Z]

My first experience of watching cricket in the stadium was the 2004 and Odi against India in Karachi. We lost the game but it was one of the greatest I've ever witnessed.

Other international games I've watched in Karachi are 2006 ODI against India and 2019 against Sri Lanka where I was on crutches after an ACL surgery so the police drove me till inside the stadium. But I usually always get the VVIP sticker which allows me to park in the stadium parking lot which is very convenient.

Also watched 2018 PSL final and lots of other PSL games in Karachi but the best experience was this PSL when I was in the media gallery for the game between Islamabad vs Lahore.

There I met Atif Rana who was so impressed with my cricketing knowledge and game sense he offered me a job for LQ though he wasn't thrilled I declined since it would require moving to Lahore but we did exchange numbers. The banter between him and Kashif Abbasi from ARY was unreal and made it an unforgettable experience. Also learnt a lot more inside information.

I've been to games in Lahore as well against the World Xi in 2017 and it was the same as Karachi with the cage blocking your view unless you arrive early and find a seat higher up in the stand. The corporate boxes in Lahore and Karachi aren't much better because the roof limits your view when the ball goes in the air. The best view by far is the media gallery right above the player's pavilion which are unfortunately complimentary and not for sale.

My first experience of Lord's was the 2005 Natwest final between Australia and England which ended up in a tie so was quite an experience. Also went there for the 2015 test against Sri Lanka, 2018 test against Pakistan and a Winides vs World XI game where Afridi played his last international.

I also went to every Pakistan game in the 2017 Champions trophy which included 2 games each in Birmingham and Cardiff followed by the final at the Oval. One of the greatest journey's ever following a team through a tournament.

There is no place better to watch cricket as a Pakistan fan than England with the British Pakistani fans who actually know how to lift the team when its back is against the wall unlike other Pakistani crowds around the world.

Also watched the 2018 Asia Cup matches against India in Dubai along with the one against Bangladesh in Abu Dhabi. Dubai isn't as great as UK grounds but better than Pakistani stadiums. Don't think I'll ever go to Abu Dhabi again it's not worth the effort.

Recently watched Pakistan's games at the T20 World Cup against India and Afghanistan in Dubai and I never plan on watching an Afghanistan game again. There was a stampede with people trampled and security getting beaten up and Afghans running riot. Please do yourself a favour and never go to an Afghanistan game or at the very least never take children, women or the elderly.

Also watched Pakistan against New Zealand at Sharjah and felt I was in Pakistan with the grill in front of the stands but the box seats were way better than those in Pakistan.

 

[Maher96]

 

[Babar E Azam]

My first experience of watching cricket in the stadium was the 2004 and Odi against India in Karachi. We lost the game but it was one of the greatest I've ever witnessed.

Other international games I've watched in Karachi are 2006 ODI against India and 2019 against Sri Lanka where I was on crutches after an ACL surgery so the police drove me till inside the stadium. But I usually always get the VVIP sticker which allows me to park in the stadium parking lot which is very convenient.

Also watched 2018 PSL final and lots of other PSL games in Karachi but the best experience was this PSL when I was in the media gallery for the game between Islamabad vs Lahore.

There I met Atif Rana who was so impressed with my cricketing knowledge and game sense he offered me a job for LQ though he wasn't thrilled I declined since it would require moving to Lahore but we did exchange numbers. The banter between him and Kashif Abbasi from ARY was unreal and made it an unforgettable experience. Also learnt a lot more inside information.

I've been to games in Lahore as well against the World Xi in 2017 and it was the same as Karachi with the cage blocking your view unless you arrive early and find a seat higher up in the stand. The corporate boxes in Lahore and Karachi aren't much better because the roof limits your view when the ball goes in the air. The best view by far is the media gallery right above the player's pavilion which are unfortunately complimentary and not for sale.

My first experience of Lord's was the 2005 Natwest final between Australia and England which ended up in a tie so was quite an experience. Also went there for the 2015 test against Sri Lanka, 2018 test against Pakistan and a Winides vs World XI game where Afridi played his last international.

I also went to every Pakistan game in the 2017 Champions trophy which included 2 games each in Birmingham and Cardiff followed by the final at the Oval. One of the greatest journey's ever following a team through a tournament.

There is no place better to watch cricket as a Pakistan fan than England with the British Pakistani fans who actually know how to lift the team when its back is against the wall unlike other Pakistani crowds around the world.

Also watched the 2018 Asia Cup matches against India in Dubai along with the one against Bangladesh in Abu Dhabi. Dubai isn't as great as UK grounds but better than Pakistani stadiums. Don't think I'll ever go to Abu Dhabi again it's not worth the effort.

Recently watched Pakistan's games at the T20 World Cup against India and Afghanistan in Dubai and I never plan on watching an Afghanistan game again. There was a stampede with people trampled and security getting beaten up and Afghans running riot. Please do yourself a favour and never go to an Afghanistan game or at the very least never take children, women or the elderly.

Also watched Pakistan against New Zealand at Sharjah and felt I was in Pakistan with the grill in front of the stands but the box seats were way better than those in Pakistan.

POTW!

I rarely post just lurk but I'm amazed by how much cricket you've seen around the world.

Please elaborate what inside information you learnt from the Atif Rana encounter. You should reconsider the job offer he gave you as well.

 

[Major]

Enjoyed reading these posts. You guys deserved a better pitch, but still you saw a history making match.

I've been to Headingley a few times, first time was the 2006 Test and saw Kamran Akmal drop some dollies.

I think some of us outside Pakistan don't appreciate the efforts the guys in Pakistan make just to watch some live cricket in their homeland.

Bravo to all of you guys who attend matches at home, especially Test matches.

thanks for reading and appreciating guys..

Yup, Pakistani fans have to go the extra mile, especially with empty stomachs, long walks and no parking .

And these small events also show how an example of how bad the system is in the country as the common man problems are not looked into.

Anyways, would love to watch a cricket match in UK if i ever get a chance