ISLAMABAD - The National Stadium Karachi is all set to host the Pakistan Super League-3 final in grand style.

The entire stadium is giving a bridal look and credit must be given to Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), provincial government and contractors NESPAK, who in collaboration of NLC, produced wonders and that too in highly short span of time. The stadium, which only few days back, was in shambles and it looked highly impossible that the venue would be ready for the mega PSL final, but day and night efforts, hard work of the contractors and employees of provincial government and PCB chairman Najam Sethi timely visit to Karachi paved the way for the mission impossible which is almost near to completion.

The highly placed sources in Karachi have confirmed to The Nation that the renovation/maintenance work of adjacent roads leading towards stadium have been done while road carpeting is also completed, roundabout with both sides are decorated with beautiful flowers, chairman box A and B are closed for the time-being, which would resume in second phase.

The contractors have constructed 30 VIP make-shift stands, with each stand can host 15 to 20 people easily, while 26 enclosures were also completed while Nasimul Ghani and Iqbal Qasim stands also turned into VIP ones, where spectators could sit after buying Rs 12,000 tickets, while 26 washrooms were also constructed, which are divided into 4 or 5 portions, with each portion having one washroom each for males and females.

The Karachi Municipal Cooperation (KMC) has also promised to send 40 mobile washrooms due to heavy load of the PSL final, as tickets were sold in hardly a few hours and there is every possibility that National Stadium will be pack to capacity well before the start of the final.

The sources further disclosed that two new dressing rooms, new hospitality rooms, new scoreboard and screen have already installed at the National Stadium, while new giant size watch will be installed in a day or two. The stadium administration claimed that around 4000 to 5000 vehicles can easily be parked at newly-constructed parking area, which is state-of-the-art, while independent sources termed the actual number is around 1000 to 2000 maximum.

The way contractors, government and provincial governments have speeded up the efforts and the way PCB is keenly involved, it clearly indicates that how much the government and cricket board are keen to host the PSL final in Karachi. Two new lifts, especially imported from France, were also installed at the stadium and they are working accordingly, while the remaining work is also being done on war-footings and it looks like the National Stadium will be ready well before March 25.

The sources further confirmed that such is the passion and enthusiasm among the Karachiites that they are ready to get tickets at any given price while people from all walks of life, whether they school-going, college, university, old or young, want to be present at the venue, as international cricket is coming to the city of lights after a very long time and they don’t want to miss that golden opportunity. The PSL fever is on the rise, which has not only gripped Lahore and Karachi, but also the entire country and people are not only coming from different parts of the country, but also from abroad to become the part of the historic occasion and want to buck up cricket.