Over 7,500 officers on duty for tri-nation series

LAHORE: More than 7,500 officers and soldiers will be on duty beginning on Saturday for the tri-nation cricket series between Pakistan, New Zealand, and South Africa, according to a Lahore Police spokesperson.

Among the officers are 11 superintendent police, 32 deputy superintendent police, and 75 station house officers. Capital City Police Officer Bilal Siddique Kamyana stated that extensive security measures are being employed around Gaddafi stadium. Police will be monitoring activity through the Punjab Safe Cities Authority’s camera network.

Special traffic police personnel are also being deployed on the roads adjacent to Gaddafi stadium. Earlier it was reported that over 1,000 traffic officers are being deployed for the event, and that forklifts and breakdown vehicles would be used to clear congested roads. Traffic may be temporarily halted during teams’ departures, but they will not be permanently closed.

Also read: Lahore Police finalises traffic plan for tri-nation series

The first game of the tri-nation series will begin today at 2 PM, and will feature Pakistan taking on New Zealand. The second match, in which New Zealand will face South Africa on February 10, will also take place in Lahore. However, both of the next two matches, in which Pakistan will face South Africa, and the finals of the series, will take place in Karachi, on February 12 and 14 respectively.

The series gives the three teams an opportunity to familiarise themselves with two of the three stadiums that will be used in the upcoming Champions Trophy games taking place in Pakistan.

Board of Governors Meeting

A board of governors meeting chaired by Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi was also held on Saturday. Members of the board expressed their gratitude to Mohsin Naqvi for the renovations made to Gaddafi Stadium, which were completed in a record 117 days. They lauded Naqvi for breaking the propaganda barrier. Naqvi praised the entire team who were a part of the project, stating that it wasn’t his individual work, and that team made the dream a reality.

The inauguration ceremony for Gaddafi Stadium was held yesterday. The opening ceremony for the champions trophy will also take place at the Gaddafi Stadium on February 16, ahead of the first match of the tournament between Pakistan and New Zealand, which will take place at National Stadium Karachi on February 19.

Also read: Champions Trophy: National Stadium Karachi upgrades completed