PCB ‘Broke’ Takes Fans to Show Up, Offers Free Tickets for Pakistan vs South Africa Tests

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has rolled out free and affordable tickets for the upcoming two-match Test series against South Africa as they hope to revive fan interest in Test cricket in several Asian countries, including India.

In Pakistan’s previous series against England, which ended in a 2-1 defeat for the visitors, barely 1,000 spectators turned up for the first Test.

The second and third Tests in Multan and Rawalpindi were no different, although Pakistan dominated. The measurement of PCBs comes from the ideology of spectator withdrawal in stadiums. However, some games were exceptions, as India VS Australia match in Kanpur attracted a large and lively audience.

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PCB massively slashes ticket prices for 2-match South African Test series

Pakistani cricket has fallen to an all-time low, having lost many of its red-ball matches at home over the past few years, since the start of the ICC World Championship. The WTC was launched in 2019, and since then, Pakistan has never been able to finish even in the top 5 positions on the WTC points table.

Due to their poor performances, they lost the crowds of people coming to the stadiums for red ball matches. In a bold attempt to attract fans to stadiums, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced free and low-cost tickets for the upcoming two-match Test series against South Africa.

Scheduled for October 12-16 in Lahore and October 20-24 in Rawalpindi, the move comes as Test cricket in Pakistan has struggled to fill seats, with empty stands becoming an all-too-familiar sight.

Pakistan vs South Africa Test Ticket Prices

First Test – Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore (October 12-16)

General, first class, premium, VIP (major enclosures): free

VIP Iqbal & Jinnah End, Gallery: PKR 800-1,000 (~RS 350-RS 440)

Platinum Box: PKR 8,000 first day (~Rs 3,520), PKR 10,000 fifth day (~Rs 4,400)

Second Test – Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium (October 20-24)

General, first class, premium, VIP (major enclosures): free

PCB Gallery: PKR 800 first day (~Rs 350), PKR 1,000 fifth day (~Rs 440)

Platinum Box: PKR 8,000 first day (~Rs 3,520), PKR 10,000 fifth day (~Rs 4,400)

Empty stands in red ball matches are a problem across Asia

The nation of Pakistan, which has been an underachiever in the history of the ICC World Test Championship, is not the only team to have struggled with this fiasco of empty stands in red-ball matches.

India, the highly successful testing nation, has also seen low participation rates for its at-home tests. The first Test against the West Indies in Ahmedabad, which was played recently, marked one of the biggest stadiums in India being rendered empty.

Some have cited that the absence of one of the biggest Test stars, Virat Kohli, could be the reason for the decline in the number of fans coming to witness their legendary batting live.

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