Pakistan: Seats yet to be fixed

Karachi, Oct 22: The organizers of the first one-day international between Pakistan and England were facing a race against time as the uplifting of the National Stadium was yet to be completed.

The seats at the most expensive enclosures Javed Miandad, Hanif Mohammad and Fazal Mahmood were yet to be fixed despite the fact that the tickets of the stands have been sold out.

According to highly reliable sources, 14,000 seats were to be installed at various stands, including the highest prized enclosures.

But with less then two days left in the first ever one-day international under lights, only 4,000 seats have been fixed.

Sources said the officials were now thinking of hiring the remaining 10,000 seats from the decorators. But at the same time, the organizers fear that the make-shift arrangement might consume more space which may create problems for the spectators.

The work on the improvement of media centre also started on Sunday when the journalists covering the match were made to sit in the open. There was no facility of telephones which added to the miseries of the mediamen.

Tuesday's match was allocated to Karachi two months back but the work still remins incomplete.

In an another significant development, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has given contract of eatables in the enclosures to a five-star hotel. Officials said all the food and drinks in all enclosures, including the Rs 30 stands, will be provided by the hotel.