Guide for spectators attending PSL final in Karachi

KARACHI: The final match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) - third edition - will be held here at the National Stadium on Sunday.

The homecoming of the sport has rejuvenated the spirit of all cricket enthusiasts in the country who are prepping up to attend the final PSL match, to be played between Peshawar Zalmi and Islamabad United.

The immensity of the event has given birth to security concerns which will consequently lead to a four-hour long, three-tier security authorization process.

A thorough guide to assist cricket lovers attending the final tomorrow is as follows:

Parking

Spectators are required to reach the designated car parking areas conforming to whichever enclosure’s tickets they have purchased.

Instead of proceeding towards the stadium directly, they are required to reach their designated car parking area where they will go through the first physical search, along with getting their tickets verified by the staff of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

Here are the designated parking areas:

-Federal Urdu University ground (University Road)

-Ground beside Hakeem Saeed Park (University Road)

-Sunday Bazaar ground adjacent to Baitul Mukarram Mosque (University Road)

-Gharib Nawaz Football Ground near Millenium Mall (Dalmia)

-China Ground (Kashmir Road)

-KDA Ground (Kashmir Road)

-KMC Sports Complex (Kashmir Road)

Spectators of the Hanif Muhammad, Quaid, Wasim Akram, Asif Iqbal, Waqar Hasan and Special Children Enclosure will be required to park their cars in the parking spots at Kashmir Road.

The Intikhab Alam, Nasim-ul-Ghani, Iqbal Qasim, Mohammad Brothers and Wasim Bari enclosures’ ticket-holders have the University Road designated parking spots reserved for their vehicles.

Whereas fans with tickets of the Majid Khan, Zaheer Abbas, Imran Khan, Fazal Mahmood and Javed Miandad enclosures will have to head over to the Dalmia Road parking spots.

Carrying the tickets to their designated parking spots will be essential for the spectators as they will not be allowed to park their vehicle otherwise.

A shuttle service has also been prearranged to drive the spectators to the three designated drop zones that are

1) Expo Centre,

2) Opposite Bahria University

3) Opposite Agha Khan Hospital.

The attendees will then be required to walk a distance of 200-300 meters from their drop zones till the gates of the stadium, where the second stage of physical search will begin. Senior citizens and differently-abled spectators will be shifted from the drop zones to the gates of the stadium through buses.

Ambulances will also be readily available in case of emergencies.

A third and final stage of physical search will be done at the gates of the stadium after which the ticket-holders will be escorted to their seats by the PCB staff.

Timings:

- Shuttle service begins, and stadium gates open, at 12pm

- Stadium gates close at 5pm

- Opening ceremony to take place around 6pm

- Match to start around 7pm

- Match expected to end around 11pm

Spectators will be transported back to the marshalling area at the car parking by the shuttle service. Fans are requested to take the same shuttle service and route they had initially used for entering the stadium.

Do’s:

-Carry your cell phone and be sure to keep it fully charged.

-Have your ticket and CNIC with you, as you will not be permitted inside the parking spots without them.

Don’ts:

-Do not carry food and drinks from outside the venue. PCB-approved vendors will have stalls set up within the car parking spots where spectators are free to make purchases before heading towards the stadium.

-Do not carry a power bank. Make sure to charge your mobile devices beforehand.

Traffic Plans:

All routes surrounding the National stadium will be blocked for traffic, as well as those linking to Hassan Square, New Town and Dalmia Road; meanwhile the roads to Agha Khan and Liaqat National Hospital on Stadium Road, along with Shahrah-e-Faisal and Shahrah-e-Quaideen will remain open on March 25.

Security:

The stadium will be secured from the outside by the police and other law enforcement establishments, while the security inside will be controlled by Rangers personnel.

DIG Traffic Imran Yaqoob Minhas has stated that a total number of 8,500 police personnel have been positioned around the venue; while around 1,600 traffic police officers will be placed around the city to help commuters avoid hindrances.

As per reports by DIG West Zulfiqar Ali Larik, the South Zone police have been deployed at the hotel where the players are staying.