Empty Seats, Heavy Hearts: The City Mourns Beyond the Stadium

Pakistan, the nation that holds cricket dear to its heart, is facing disappointment as their team will probably be knocked out early from the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Despite hosting the event for the first time in nearly three decades, the tournament has been tainted with empty grounds and lackluster performances. The Karachi National Stadium, which was a beacon of cricket enthusiasm in the past, had thin crowds even for Pakistan's games. Both fans and analysts are debating the need for the ODI format, and demands for rejuvenation are intensifying. Retired cricketers have criticized the lack of effort, appealing for more strategies to restore popularity to the game. As Pakistan struggles with this letdown, the empty stands are a bitter reminder of the issues besieging ODI cricket in the age of T20 league domination. Source: The Daily Star, NDTV Sports, Times of India