Champions Trophy 2025: A no-show from Pakistan and its fans for semifinal at Gaddafi Stadium
The Liberty Chowk usually remains the hub of activities every time the Gaddafi Stadium hosts a cricket match. Fans queuing up near the gates and waving the flags of their team is a common sight.
But Wednesday afternoon felt different.
With Pakistan already knocked out of the tournament, the usual rush was missing, and so was the fanfare. Even though a handful of vendors were selling flags of New Zealand and South Africa, the response from the customers seemed lukewarm.
As one waited near one of the gates, awaiting regular security checks, a passerby wondered whether there was a game scheduled at the iconic stadium. “ Aaj kaun si match hai (What match is it today?),” the elderly gentleman asked, adding with a wry smile, “Pakistan toh bahir ho gaya, ab kya khelna! (Pakistan has exited the tournament, what is the point of watching the match)”
And that seemed to be the general mood in the city. It did not feel like a Champions Trophy semifinal. Despite the country hosting a global event after nearly three decades, a large part of the Gaddafi Stadium remained empty as Rachin Ravindra and Kane Williamson batted fluently against South Africa in the knockouts clash.
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One could assume the fasting hours might have kept fans away during the day, with numbers increasing slightly post Iftar. Either way, the enthusiasm was lacking. Despite all the top brass of the participating boards and the bigwigs of the ICC in attendance, one of the spectators pointed out that with Pakistan not qualifying and India refusing to travel here, the tournament has lost its sheen.
“Had Pakistan been playing the tournament, the atmosphere would have been completely different. But now, it’s just two foreign teams playing,” said Yasser, a college student, who came to watch Kane Williamson bat. “I was happy to watch him live in action, but in general, I would have been happier had Pakistan made it to the semifinals at home.”
The other day, Agha Salman, the newly appointed T20I captain of Pakistan, also regretted not playing the semifinal in front of the home crowd. And that sentiment was quite visible in the VIP boxes as well.
A spectator was seen asking former Pakistan international and now a commentator, Bazid Khan, what should the team do to improve its performances in the global events. Bazid replied politely.
When the tournament got underway, the millions of cricket fans in this part of the world were hoping for an action-packed fortnight, but in the end, all they’ve been left with is a sour taste in the mouth.
