Champions Trophy diary: Pakistan's rusty start and the great ticket chase for February 23

By K.R. Nayar

Dubai. Walking around with a media accreditation card often leads to the question, “Do you have tickets for the India-Pakistan match?” Indian fans attending the Bangladesh match have mistaken journalists for officials, as the accreditation cards prominently display "NRH" (Non-Rights Holder) instead of "Media." With persistent requests flooding in for India-Pakistan match tickets on February 23, the only way to evade the constant inquiries was to jokingly claim that "NRH" stands for "No Requests Here."

 

Accreditation card NRH: Please read as No Request Here  

Indians are online ticket heroes

 

Pakistan’s loss to New Zealand in the tournament opener has delighted Indian fans in the UAE. The majority of tickets for the India-Pakistan match have been purchased by Indians. “Is it because Indians are experts in online ticket purchases?” quipped a Sri Lankan cricket fan who was unable to buy a ticket online. In response, the Emirates Cricket Board opened ticket counters for direct purchases, announcing that physical tickets would be available at the box office in Dubai Sports City Canal Parking. However, tickets were only on sale for India’s matches against Bangladesh, New Zealand, and the first semifinal—not for the highly anticipated clash against Pakistan.

 

 


Fox and grapes mentality

 

With India-Pakistan tickets in short supply, a new group of fans has emerged, adopting the classic "fox and grapes" mentality. Much like the fox that dismissed the unreachable grapes as sour, these fans now claim that the India-Pakistan match might turn out to be a dull encounter. After New Zealand’s victory over Pakistan, they argue that the India-New Zealand match—tickets for which are still available—will be the best fixture of the Champions Trophy.

 

 Slow and steady fall of wickets

 

Pakistan is hosting a global tournament in their country for the first time in nearly three decades. After their opening loss to New Zealand, an Indian supporter here made a sarcastic remark questioning whether Pakistan’s team had become "rusty" due to the lack of international tournaments at home. When Pakistan managed only 22 runs in the first ten overs, some fans humorously twisted the famous idiom "slow and steady wins the race" into “slow and steady fall of wickets results in losing matches too.”

 

Posters of four captains  that wrap the stadium. Photos by K.R. Nayar 

Posters of captains that wrap the stadium

 

 At the Dubai International Stadium, posters of participating team captains decorate the venue. However, only the captains of India, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Bangladesh are prominently displayed. With Group B captains missing, one journalist wittily remarked that if England reaches the semifinal, the poster of the losing captain might be peeled off to make room for Jos Buttler.


Champions Trophy 20 or 25 overs? 

Spectators also offer interesting opinions. Some have argued that since the event is called the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, it should be a 20-over or 25-over contest rather than a traditional 50-over match.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Two under-14 cricketers’ dream journey from the UAE to Palakkad and the Kerala state team

Image
By K.R. Nayar  We have often heard the saying, “The sky is the limit” for those who dream and work hard. Abhinav Madhu and Puthan Veettil Nirmay, who live in the UAE but hail from the Palakkad district in Kerala, have been selected for the Kerala State Under-14 team. Though they do their schooling in UAE and train at the Dunes Cricket Academy here, they registered with the Palakkad District Cricket Association nearly three years ago with a mission to play for Kerala. They made sure to travel to Kerala to play matches, and through their consistent performances, they earned a spot in the inter-zonal team. Now, they have clinched a place in the Kerala State Under-14 team. Puthan Veettil Nirmay and Abhinav Madhu These boys, through their journey to the Kerala team, have proved that nothing is impossible. By representing their parents’ hometown, they have made their families proud as well. Their parents’ love for the game and willingness to support their children’s dreams have ...
Read more

A bakery that inspired cricketers closes down after 84 years

Image
By K.R. Nayar For most of us, there would always be something that remains a nostalgic memory from our childhood days. In Trivandrum, where I spent all my early years of life, there was a small bakery called Santha Bakery, nestled in the heart of the city. It will always remain a cherished memory because every item sold here was delicious. For me, this bakery also played a motivational role in my journey as a cricket player and writer. The news of its closure after 84 years is now a painful reminder of its legacy.   Some of the former cricketers assemble bidding goodbye to their favourite bakery    Santha Bakery was more than just a place where I enjoyed cakes and puffs; it was a shop I revered. The three sons of P.M. Krishnan, the owner of the bakery, were brilliant cricketers—fearsome pacers, to be precise. P.M.K. Mohandas, P.M.K. Raghunath, and P.M.K. Premnath were renowned names those days. Mohandas was even mentioned by India’s legendary player E.A.S. Prasanna ...
Read more

European Cricket Association launched in Paris to boost the game in the region

Image
By K.R. Nayar A cricket organisation to boost the game in Europe was launched in Paris today. Six cricketing nations joined hands and formed the European Cricket Association. The inaugural meeting of the association held at Pullman Effiel was attended by representatives of six cricket playing nations  - France, Italy, Jersey, Malta, Austria and Romania. France was the host of the meeting which was held under the chairmanship of Gurumurthy Palani, the Board Advisor to the France Cricket Association, till the president of the body is chosen. European Cricket Association officials at their launch meeting  Gabriel Marin of Romania was elected as the first President of the European Cricket Association, while Fabio Marabini of Italy will be the First Vice President. Three vice presidents were elected, which included Indika Perera (Malta), Sarah Gomersall (Jersey) and Gurumurthy Palani (France). Bilal Zal Mai of Austria will be the Executive Committee Member. Speaking about the...
Read more