No Champions Trophy final deals one last blow to hosts Pakistan

LAHORE: Pakistan cricket fans and former players seethed Wednesday after the host country’s already disappointing Champions Trophy suffered one last blow: no final.

“It’s totally unfair,” said Moeed Ali Khan, a private car driver outside Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium to watch the second semi-final between South Africa and New Zealand. “I am disgusted, neither our team is in the final nor is the final in Pakistan.”

Pakistan celebrated on February 19 when the country began staging its first major international cricket tournament in three decades. But it was all downhill after that. The hosts lost the opening match to New Zealand and their title defence was over with a comprehensive defeat to arch-rivals India.

Their dead-rubber final group match, against Bangladesh, was washed out. This Sunday’s final was scheduled for Lahore, but with one big caveat: not if India reached the title decider. By defeating Australia in the first semi-final on Tuesday, India did just that.

India have played all their games, including the Australia clash, in Dubai after refusing to visit neighbouring Pakistan because of political tensions. The final will also be at Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Pakistan only agreed to the so-called hybrid model of hosting on the condition that they will also not send their team to India for upcoming ICC events.

The arrangement, which saw other teams shuttle in and out of the UAE while India stayed put, underlined India’s outsized influence over cricket. “We accepted this arrangement, so what is the fuss?” asked Abdul Samad, a cricket fan.

“When you do not have power you have to bow down and this is the bargain Pakistan had to do. “No regrets for me. Our team and our cricket is lagging behind so we had to make a compromise.” Others in Pakistan are not so pragmatic.

“No final in Pakistan after such a heavy investment on the venues is a blow,” former captain Rashid Latif told AFP. “Pakistan is at the lowest level in terms of finances and team-wise as well, which is a double loss.”

Pakistan reportedly spent the equivalent of 16 million dollars to upgrade the three venues in Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi. The country will reportedly get six million dollars in hosting fees from the ICC.

But finances could be hit with the lack of interest in the 50-over tournament after the home team’s early exit. Three of the matches in Pakistan were hit by bad weather and empty seats at games were noticeable.

“India have improved enormously and that has been evident in this event,” said Latif, reflecting on what has happened on the pitch. “But I think politics has lowered the cricket a great deal.”

He added: “I think had they come to Pakistan and lifted the trophy in Lahore it would have been great.” Latif says the repercussions of the split hosting will last beyond the Champions Trophy.