High on speed

It’s pretty surprising that a bunch of around 15 journalists, traveling on a bus this morning, actually got to the Multan Cricket Stadium. The city was on strike with policemen patrolling the streets and here we are, inside a rickety bus, with the driver pelting through the roads at a ferocious pace.

The bus was all gaudily decorated, with bright red curtains and shimmering adornments, but it rattled along as if the levers and crank shafts were reaching breaking point. Speed breakers didn’t seem to matter and, more seriously, policemen were brushed aside as if they were unwanted obstacles.

One policeman actually stood in front of the bus, waving both his hands, and gesturing to stop and here is our bus driver shrieking, ‘Ye press se hain, stadium jana hain’ (these people are from the press, they need to go to the stadium), and nonchalantly motoring on.

Suddenly, about a few kilometers from the stadium, he was forced to slow down as tens of thousands of fans, vehicles and animals filled the streets with multiple, disorderly lanes being constantly formed. It was a real sight to see fans and animals using the middle of the road as buses and cars tried to weave their way past.

We finally got there, so did around 35000 more. But all they got was the party-pooping Indians, sealing the series with a resounding win.