Watch- Crowds Jumps Fence, Climb Barricades To Watch Karachi Stadium Opening Ceremony Before ICC Champions Trophy 2025

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has received criticism ahead of the much-anticipated ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which begins on February 19. The official opening ceremony of Pakistan's premier tournament was marred by mayhem outside Karachi's stadium, with people scaling the stadium grills.

Pakistan will host the Champions Trophy 2025 in a hybrid format after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) expressed security concerns about sending their squad. The other cricket boards agreed to travel to Pakistan, but the BCCI followed the Indian government’s advice and refused to send a team.

The Pakistan Cricket Board worked hard to get the venues ready for the event. Both the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore and the National Stadium in Karachi have undergone extensive upgrades in recent months. Notably, the PCB formally opened the two venues before the Tri-Series earlier this month.

Chaos in Karachi Stadium Opening Ceremony Creates Security Concerns

The Prime Minister recently launched the refurbished Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, and the Karachi venue was officially opened earlier this week. However, footage from the Karachi event has raised questions about the security procedures.

Social media was awash with videos purportedly from the magnificent event, capturing the excitement of ardent cricket fans, including one viral film showing exuberant crowds climbing walls and jumping barriers in a desperate attempt to enter the stadium.

Because admission was free at the grand ceremonies, a large audience gathered to witness the inauguration event and their favorite cricket heroes on stage on the eve of the Pakistan vs South Africa match in Karachi.

This location will hold the Champions Trophy opener, and the footage has shown potential faults in the PCB's event preparations.

Here are the videos:

I thought Only India's Got Talent but i was wrong, even #Pakistanis have great Talent.
See How they entered the stadium on the opening day of renovated #Karachi National Stadium. #ViralVideo #KarachiNationalStadium #ViralVideo #Rcbcaptain #LoveIsland #BirdFlu #VickyKausha pic.twitter.com/wWd4neN74r

— Aisha Dar (@AishaDar19) February 13, 2025

Watch: Huge Crowd Exposed the Security Lapse during the Karachi Stadium Opening Ceremony in Pakistan!#Pakistan #KarachiStadium #OpeningCeremony #Security #Stadium #ICCChampionsTrophy #Cricket #WaqfAmendmentBill #WaqfBill #WaqfBoard #ViratKohli𓃵 #ViratKohli #Housefull5 #Fauji… pic.twitter.com/zFMbBpNEPO

— Vayam Bharat (@vayambharat) February 13, 2025

Security Struggled to Manage Large Crowd at Opening Event in Karachi

The mayhem began with inadequate handling at the VIP admission gates, when visitors were left stuck while security attempted to control the large crowd. With the gates barred and no clear instructions, supporters began climbing barriers to gain access to the arena.

The man recording the video can be heard expressing frustration, saying, "All doors are closed, all entrances are closed. See how people are doing. This is what they have done. There is no management."

The Champions Trophy arrangements may demand ticket purchases for admission, but the videos are concerning for both fans traveling to Pakistan and the players. One video also showed a fan breaking security and running onto the field during the opening ceremony, emphasizing security concerns.

Pakistan last hosted a major cricket tournament in 1996, when it co-hosted the World Cup with India. After a 10-year hiatus, international cricket returned to Pakistan in 2019. Since then, teams including New Zealand, England, and Australia have played matches in the country in a variety of forms.

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