Pakistan is currently hosting the Champions Trophy. It's the first time they've hosted an international tournament since co-hosting the 1996 World Cup with India and Sri Lanka. Part of the reasoning for the long delay was the terror attacks that were made on the Sri Lankan side in 2009.*
*You can check out information on the attack through one of my posts (https://www.nicklieberthal.com/blog/for-your-safety)
Since then, Pakistan were barred from hosting matches. Pakistan were forced to play, "home" matches in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Ever since 2014, beginning with Kenya touring the country for an ODI (One Day International) series, Pakistan has slowly regained it's right to host countries for various tours.
Staging the Champions Trophy in three cities over the next two-and-a-half weeks will be a huge boost to the South Asian nation's reputation if authorities can pull it off smoothly and safely.
"Convincing the world that Pakistan is a safe country and that it is capable of delivering such a global event from an administration point of view took serious hard work and convincing," said former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, Ramiz Raja.
The country has stepped up security, especially in host cities: Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi, even if attacks in major cities are increasingly rare. Pakistan had been due to host the Champions Trophy, the premier ODI event after the World Cup, in 2008.
It was, instead, staged in South Africa a year later because of a security crisis that spilt over from the war in neighbouring Afghanistan after the September 11 attacks.
Pakistan became a no-go zone for international sides in 2009 after Islamist gunmen attacked a bus carrying Sri Lanka's team in Lahore, wounding several players and killing eight policemen and civilians.
Since a sweeping military crackdown that started in 2014 and lasted several years, security has vastly improved. Test cricket returned to Pakistan in 2019 and Australia, England, New Zealand and South Africa later toured the country, helping Pakistan's bid to host the tournament.
Those teams will all be in Pakistan for the Champions Trophy. "The world eventually understood our viewpoint," said Raja, under whose tenure the event was awarded in 2021. Although militancy is still a threat in Pakistan, the violence is nearly entirely limited to the remote border regions from north to south, far away from the stadiums.
With the capital Islamabad placed in lockdown, Pakistan recently hosted a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and a global meeting on girls' education, raising its profile on the international stage.
As a test case for it's readiness, Pakistan last week staged a tri-series with New Zealand and South Africa and crowds flocked to the recently renovated stadiums in Lahore and Karachi.
Raja, a former Pakistan captain who played in the 1987 World Cup hosted by Pakistan and India, said holding the Champions Trophy has enormous significance that goes beyond sport. "This Champions Trophy is a crucial step toward normalising it's standing in the global cricket community," he said.
"It's also about national pride and sending a strong message about resilience and determination. It is about youth engagement, cultural promotion and building a global image. Now the onus is on us to deliver."
Jet fighters flew over a packed stadium in southern Pakistan, streaking the sky with the green and white of the national flag and garlanding a sporting spectacle the country has been waiting to host for a generation.
The two teams strutted out into the National Stadium in Karachi to a huge roar from the crowd, getting underway the Champions Trophy tournament that cricket-obsessed Pakistan hopes will cement its rehabilitation into the cricketing world.
Authorities in Karachi were taking no chances during the opening match between Pakistan and New Zealand on Wednesday. Snipers were in position on rooftops along routes to the stadium. Commandos and SWAT teams manned checkpoints around the sprawling port city.
Pakistan fan, Farah Qadri, spent hours under the blazing sun passing through security checkpoints outside the stadium but said the, "surreal" experience of seeing the opening game of the tournament was worth the wait.
She said that there were people from, "all walks of life huddled together, cheering, chanting and dancing nonstop." The Champions Trophy, "is a huge positive for the entire country," said Basit Ali, 36, who watched the opening match from a teashop in Peshawar near the Afghan border. "I pray that Pakistan successfully defends it's title and brings joy to the nation."
Cricket is almost a second religion in Pakistan, with superstars plastered on billboards and the national team the objects of intense pride – or anger – depending on results. As stated above, the last time Pakistan hosted an international tournament was in 1996.
That’s meant an entire generation in the nation of around 220 million has come of age without experiencing the thrill of playing host to the world’s best. Excitement mingled with nervousness for Farees Shah, a cricket podcast host who also joined the throng of fans in the Karachi stadium on Wednesday.
He said that it’s like, "you’re the biggest party animal out there but after ages you’re hosting the party, so you just want to make sure everything goes smoothly."
Events off the cricket pitch rarely go smoothly in Pakistan. Former prime minister – and World Cup-winning cricketer – Imran Khan is currently in jail for corruption and revealing official secrets – charges he says are a plot by rivals to keep him from returning to office.
Hosting the Champions Trophy is a “milestone moment” for Pakistan, the chairman of PCB, Mohsin Naqvi, said in a statement.
The tournament is an, "opportunity to reaffirm Pakistan’s status as one of the most passionate and influential cricketing nations, fully capable of staging multi-nation tournaments at the highest level," he said.
Authorities say they are pulling out all stops. The national airline is putting on special flights to ferry the visiting teams around the country to their matches. Every player and match official has been given, "state guest status" according to authorities – the equivalent of being treated like a visiting head of state.
Unfortunately, there is a, "downside." That would be India playing their matches in the UAE and not in Pakistan. As per a previous post (https://www.nicklieberthal.com/blog/pcb-vs-bcci-champions-trophy-chaos), Indian cricketing officials have cited, "security reasons" for refusing to come to Pakistan.
Since independence from Britain in 1947, nuclear-armed India and Pakistan have fought three wars and introduced heavy restrictions on exchanges of goods and people, despite their closely entwined shared history and culture – and love of cricket.
India-Pakistan matches are billed as one of the greatest sporting grudges in the world and attract mega sponsors and hyper fanfare. Around 400 million people are estimated to have tuned in to watch Pakistan beat India in the final of the last Champions Trophy in 2017.
Viewing figures for the latest Super Bowl were paltry in comparison, at around 127 million. Naqvi called India's absence, "a loss for spectators, broadcasters, media, and the tournament itself."
"But it is also a missed opportunity for Indian players to experience the warmth, love, and hospitality that Pakistan has always extended to visiting teams."
For cricket fan, Basit Ali, in Peshawar, Sunday’s upcoming clash with India will be the highlight of the tournament, even if it does take place in Dubai. "The real excitement will be when Pakistan faces India. I can’t wait for that!”
Farees Shah, the podcast host, said he wanted, "nothing more than Pakistan cricket to do well. It is equally important to me that the tournament goes effortlessly."
India ended up winning the match by 6 wickets (and with 45 balls remaining). "King" Virat Kohli scored an unbeaten 100 to secure the win for India.
This result means India are almost certain to qualify for the semi-finals. Pakistan are on the brink of being eliminated.
I'm happy with the whole situation. Cricket should be enjoyed by all. Not being able to watch a game in person can be depressing for any sports mad fan. This is especially true if something happened that was out of their control. Additionally, there are kids and possible teen fans who have unfortunately never seen a home match prior to this event.
I believe that Pakistan went the right way into the whole situation. They did it in small steps to re-establish themselves as hosts. They didn't immediately go overboard and demand an instant return to cricket in Pakistan. Patience paid off for them at the end.