I haven’t seen a big crowd at a test match in Pakistan for ages now. I thought we were supposed to love our cricket out there? The stadium is empty apart from two slappers dressed in SA shirts.
In England the test matches were sold out this summer and it’s not even the no 1 game over here.
Any Indians here who are watching the NZ matches? What are the crowds like for that one?
I agree, I raised the same point during the series against BD and someone said that BD didnt have the crowd appeal and people will come to watch SA. Looks like test match is dying in Pakistan, there are very few people considering we are playing a top team and after such a long time. On the other hand is this just Lahore crowd or is it all over Pakistan. Let's see what happens in the remaining four days and then the crowd at Faisalabad for the second test.
Too many matches in a month for Lahore probably. They should change venues, how many times a month you can afford a ticket?
I don't think majority of Pakistanis understand the real cricket. Test cricket is ONLY for the connoisseur. Also, poor facilities at stadiums stops a lot of people from coming.
I think PCB should coordinate with schools and colleges and encourage the youth to come see the very best of cricketers play.
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*Originally posted by Changez_like: *
Too many matches in a month for Lahore probably. They should change venues, how many times a month you can afford a ticket?
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Very true. Just dont give Lahore a game in a series or two and you will see a turn around. Like i bet we will get at least a good crowd in Karachi in next test match (jub bhi ho ga).
2ndly if you give matches to small cities people normally try to go and watch because of "aab pata nahi agla match kun ho yahaan per" thinking.
I think it's more a case these grounds like Lahore get too much one day cricket. In the test series against Bangladesh the only big crowds were in Peshawar.
fg, In the days before ODI cricket there used to be plenty of spectators to watch tests, i can't believe the public have all gotten dumb since then. I also think we should have had the test matches first when the public interest was at the highest. Lahoris have already seen two ODI's before this game began.
Good point, Xtreme. In the old days tests were always played before One_dayers.
It’s a shame people don’t care about seeing World’s fastest pair bowling in one of the most spectacular venues in Pakistan. A real shame.
Hopefully, they will come in big number to watch Yasir Hameed and Imran Farhat battle out the Saffies. I have never understood why seeing batting is preferred over bowling and fielding. 
looking at the ground today it seems that there are more players than spectators. This is really bad especially as Pakistan is batting.
I dont see a reason why would someone come to the stadium when it is 51 degrees outside...jus enjoy the match in your own living room! :p
On a serious note...I think people are way more interested in ODI Cricket rather than Test Cricket. I myself find Test cricket to be long and boring, while ODI cricket is way more exciting.
^ And it makes sense. Test matches made sense when TV's were not prevalent, people could afford to waste 5 days and paint dried real slow.
Re: Test match cricket finished in Pakistan?
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*Originally posted by Mr Xtreme: *
Any Indians here who are watching the NZ matches? What are the crowds like for that one?
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For the Ahmedabad test the stadium was empty due to the heat. Of course everyone wondered if test cricket was dead, but for this second test it's back to biz with Mohali expected to get a 40,000 noisy crowd today. Yesterday it was 30,000. Today Tendlya will bat so...
lol...I know those stories...ticket counters are closed...people have to buy tickets in black while the stadiums are empty...and the same goes for cinemas, railways, airlines and other public events...
Lahoris arent really starved for cricket, other cities are. Put on a test match at pindi and see the results. Plus, it was really hot in lahore (as usual), with the temperature reaching 44degrees Celcuis and higher, I wouldnt want to go out at this temperature if I were a lahori
Best crowd of the series so far today, looks like a few thousand in. Maybe ODI tickets should be sold with preference going to those that buy test match tickets as well for Lahore and Karachi. They could be sold at a discount rate in a package deal. Not sure how that would work out but it might be worth looking at.
I guess entry was FREE on the last day thats why huge crowd turned inn
Kudos to Faisalabadees for turning up in large numbers for a test match.
I think Karachi and Lahore should be awarded ODIs ONLY whereas smaller cities such as Faisalabad, Peshawar and Sialkot get the test macthes. Karachites and Lahoris don't deserve test cricket. There was no excuse for the Lahoris not to show up for a test match that involved #2 team versus one of the fastest bowlers of the world. Shame on you, Lahorio.
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*Originally posted by funguy: *
Kudos to Faisalabadees for turning up in large numbers for a test match.
I think Karachi and Lahore should be awarded ODIs ONLY whereas smaller cities such as Faisalabad, Peshawar and Sialkot get the test macthes. Karachites and Lahoris don't deserve test cricket. There was no excuse for the Lahoris not to show up for a test match that involved #2 team versus one of the fastest bowlers of the world. Shame on you, Lahorio.
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Well the Lahoris who would actually go to the ground and watch the matches are not in Lahore, for instance myself (and most of my friends 80%), LM, Ehsan and so on. Otherwise the stadium would have been chucka chuck packed :)