The second Test match between Pakistan and New Zealand is being played in front of empty stands at the National Stadium in Karachi despite the PCB allowing free entry for all fans in the city.
Pakistan cricket followers are blaming the situation on the lifestyle and mindset of the fans who they feel prefer to watch Test matches from the comfort of their homes rather than watch it from the stadiums.
"Since I watch the match at the stadium whenever (be it any format), I feel it’s not about the ticket cost for the people of Karachi but the lifestyle! It's a metropolitan city & people prefer convenience every single time! My two cents on it," a Pakistani fan named Anum Farooq Rashid tweeted.
Former Pakistan cricketer Bazid Khan also backed up this claim on air when he was commentating in the third Test against England in Karachi last month. That game also saw empty stands at the National Stadium.
“Cricket fans in Rawalpindi buy tickets and enjoy cricket in Pindi Cricket Stadium whereas people in Karachi enjoy cricket watching on television,” Khan said.
Ticketing Issues
The problem also lies in the ticketing situation in the city. During the England series, fans with online tickets had to walk several kilometres just to get physical tickets since they weren’t being allowed inside with a hard copy.
For the New Zealand series, the PCB announced that tickets could be bought from specific locations but there problems continued.
