India-Pakistan cricket encounter in the World Cup semi-final to be played at the Punjab Cricket Association grounds in Mohali on today has reached crescendo with ticket prices touching as high as Rs one lakh.
Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh showing his intention to watch the match and Pakistan Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani accepting the invitation of his Indian counterpart to visit India to see the much-awaited Indo-Pak clash, there is unprecedented pressure from VIPs to garner tickets. A number of chief ministers, union ministers, senior bureaucrats and influential businessmen have approached deputy chief minister, Punjab, Sukhbir Singh Badal and Punjab Government, Shiv Raj Patil to arrange for seats.Congress MP, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Vadra and Robert Vadra, avid cricket buffs too are arriving to watch the encounter. No hotels or guest houses are available in the tri-city due to rush of guests from across the country and Pakistan. In fact, the Punjab Government, PCA Mohali and tri-city could never had a better platform to market Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula.
All this has led to an astounding rise in ticket prices with black marketeers making the most of a mad rush. In some cases wards of VIPs and even cops are seen selling tickets at a high premium. In one case, a school student, son of a senior bureaucrat had sold tickets priced Rs 1000 each for Rs 30,000 each. Black market price of a ticket priced Rs 16,000 is quoted at above Rs one lakh. Alongside, there are reports of bookies betting on the match and Abohar, Ganganagar belt very active on betting. Reports suggest that favourites are India for the bookies. The PCA stadium at Mohali has a seating capacity of 27,500. Some people managed to get tickets from the counter on March 21-22. However, most of the tickets were pocketed by black marketers. Meanwhile on the diplomatic front, the two countries have found this as an opportunity to renew ties. The match will come a day after the Home Secretary-level talks between the two countries on March 28-29. It is expected that both prime ministers will also discuss cricket diplomacy to improve the Indo-Pak bilateral relations. India and Pakistan have not played in any bilateral series since the Mumbai terror attacks in November 2008. The Pakistan cricketers have also not played in the Indian Premier League since its first edition in early 2008.
As far as security arrangements are concerned, over 3,000 policemen have been lined up, 100 CCTV cameras installed, quick reaction teams, bomb disposal squads and commando forces are on alert -- intense security defines the state of affairs in Chandigarh and Mohali, where the electrifying semi-final clash between arch rivals India and Pakistan is scheduled. The PCA now bears a fortress-like look with hundreds of security personnel deployed both inside and outside the stadium. Traffic restrictions have also been imposed near the stadium. According to SSP, Mohali, Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, police forces have been requisitioned from various districts of Punjab. There would be a three-tier security arrangement at the PCA. A team of SPG, QRTs (Quick Reaction Teams), bomb disposal squads, ambulances and commando force will be there all the time for the floodlit match. Besides, unprecedented security arrangements have been made at the Taj Hotel in Chandigarh, where both the teams have been put up. Nearly 1,000 cops have been stationed at the hotel and for the first time, jammer-installed vehicles are being used to escort the team buses.
In fact these days, it is only cricket and people say that they drink cricket, eat cricket and sleep cricket with all roads leading to Mohali.
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