“Hello Saleem Bhai, how are you, you must be going to Lahore to watch PSL matches”
While scanning the baggage at Karachi Airport, when I heard this phrase, a young boy was with me. And then great cricket is getting two funs in one ticket and what else is needed.
Having said that, he went ahead and I felt satisfied that despite the lack of hype from PCB, people’s interest in the event remained, this time I chose the new airline “Fly Jinnah” and the first The journey was very pleasant, the plane, staff and other facilities were all very good. I also met Shifaat Ali in the flight. were going on assignment.
From Lahore Airport to Team Hotel, I was looking for any poster, banner or board of PSL, but I didn’t see any. Maybe there was some publicity in other areas because now the chairman has increased the advertising budget, but outside the restaurant in the hotel. There was a big banner of the captains which gave the impression that the PSL festival was about to be decorated, this hotel looks like a shopping mall even on normal days due to the rush.
Now because of PSL, it was completely full, there was a large number of security personnel, even the burnt buttermilk of milk is drunk and blown, since the cricket came back in Pakistan, the authorities have no difficulty in providing foolproof security. When leaving, the road to the hotel and the rest of the route are closed for general traffic during the movement of the teams.
There is a big rush especially in the morning during breakfast, so this decision proved to be good for the players’ privacy, no unrelated person can enter the team’s floor. Food has become a big problem, Nando’s is the mode of eating but it is not allowed to order anything from outside, here you have to buy expensive and less spicy hotel food, I started to smile after hearing this. Breakfast is provided free of charge during the events, but if there is no match, the rest of the time the players have to buy their own food from their daily allowance.
Some teams have a different policy, lunch or dinner is arranged in the stadium during the match. When I spoke to Quetta Gladiators owner Nadeem Umar, I said that the decision to remove Sarfraz Ahmed from the leadership seems to be too much for you. It was difficult that’s why he got emotional in the press conference, he replied that Sarfraz is like a child to me.
We have known each other for 18 years, so I was feeling a bit awkward but like a good sportsman, Sarfraz accepted the decision for the good of the team. The situation was a bit tense in one place as well, Director Media Alia Rashid provided a great facility for the journalists this time, by the way they had to walk from Liberty Chowk.
Now the van is available, this happened in the past during the PSL matches in Dubai too, I came with Abbas Raza, he did not allow me to avail this facility due to relatively close car parking, then say a few minutes. After walking a lot, he said, “It’s good, your weight will be reduced a little.” In the elevator, I met Muhammad Yaqoob, a senior journalist of Dawn.
The arrangements of the media center were handled by Raza Rashid, he is very popular among journalists due to his good conduct, I met many journalist friends Muhammad Aqeel, Ijaz Sheikh, Azhar Masood, Qadir Khawaja and others, most of them did their good work. Having made a unique venue because of this, I expressed my concern after seeing the low crowd, Yusuf Anjum said that the stadium would have been full by the time the ceremony started and then it happened, there were a large number of people in queues outside as well.
At one place, I saw Atif Rana, the owner of Lahore Qalandars, who was taking selfies with the fans. Because of the protocol is also different, so they are far away from the media, in PCB Salman Naseer does not allow them to go to anyone except him, the opening ceremony was great, the real credit goes to Trans Group, Ali Zafar and The audience thoroughly enjoyed the performances of others, laser show and fireworks lit up the sky after total darkness.
I also congratulated Ali for his excellent anthem and his performance, he is a big fan of cricket, the atmosphere of the stadium was telling how important events like PSL are for us, people who are worried about the country’s situation forgot everything. Must have spent the hours well and returned home, there were good fours and sixes in the match, the next day I met Shaheen Afridi, fans also gathered to see him.
Baakhlaq Shaheen took pictures with everyone, I also interviewed him which you will see soon on Cricket Pakistan, although I went to Lahore for a short time but had good meetings, watched the match too, a great start to PSL. Got it will be beneficial in the next matches too, PCB was asleep, the plane was moving towards the destination on autopilot mode, now we have to take control and make good arrangements so that the event ends successfully.
