Islamabad deserted during thriller

ISLAMABAD: From roads to streets to bazaars, the federal capital wore a deserted look in the afternoon and evening on Sunday as the people glued to TV screens to watch the Pakistan-India final for the ICC Champions Trophy in the UK.

Though most cricket enthusiasts opted to stay at home, those out on the streets for one reason or the other watched the high-voltage match on plasma screens installed at major public places, including Jinnah Super Market, Super Market, Blue Area and Aabpara.

Some turned to high-end restaurants and cafés, which, too, made arrangements for the live telecast of the thriller on their premises.

Amid prayers for their success, there were roars of applause and shouts whenever Pakistani players batted or bowled well. With the bookies betting favourite teams since the start of the tourney, their trade reached climax in the day.

Most bookies tipped Virat Kohli’s men to beat Sarfraz Ahmad's. However, the odds placed on both teams fluctuated as the match progressed. As the cricket fever reached its climax in the day, high sales of Pakistan team’s official T-shirts and trousers, national flags, and even replicas of the ICC Champions Trophy were reported.

However, some people complained shopkeepers overcharged them taking the undue advantage of the frenzy. With the bookies betting favourite teams since the start of the tourney, their trade reached climax in the day. Many cricket lovers took to Twitter, an online social networking service, to favour and buck up Pakistani team.