Indian fans of Babar Azam in Dubai

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The players were practicing at the Dubai Stadium while I stood across the boundary line, reflecting on how just yesterday I was covering a match between Afghanistan and South Africa in my hometown, Karachi, and today I was in the UAE, where Pakistan is set to face India on Sunday. If the Indian board hadn’t been so stubborn, this memorable clash could have taken place in our country, providing local fans with entertainment.

Let me rewind a bit. My flight from Karachi was in the morning. The airport was packed with a huge crowd, making it difficult to get inside. There were long lines at the airline counters, but what really shocked me was the long queue at immigration—I’ve traveled a lot, but I had never seen such a long line at Karachi Airport. Upon asking, I found out that multiple flights were departing around the same time, which caused the rush. I thought people might miss their flights, but the officers at the immigration counters handled everything very professionally. They fast-tracked passengers whose flights were close to departure.

My flight was delayed by an hour, and upon arriving in the UAE, I quickly cleared immigration through the smart gate, where my passport and eyes were scanned. I had booked a hotel near the stadium to avoid any hassle on match day. After checking in and joining an Express News show online, I headed to the stadium. At the entrance, I ran into Mubashir Usmani, a well-known figure in Emirates Cricket who is now an ICC director.

During Aaqib Javed’s press conference, it felt like an Indian cricketer was facing the media, given the overwhelming number of Indian journalists present. Aaqib seemed confident, but since he wasn’t going to play, that confidence didn’t mean much. He skillfully dodged questions about Pakistan’s struggling pacers and appeared determined for a win. I tried raising my hand for a question a couple of times, but the media manager didn’t acknowledge me—this also happened during Mohammad Rizwan’s press conference in Karachi. It felt like someone had told them not to let me ask questions, so I didn’t try too hard this time.

Apart from me, only a few journalists from Pakistan were present, including hardworking young reporters like Sanaullah and Ijaz Bakhri, and Shakir Abbasi from Islamabad. The PCB had entrusted the Emirates Cricket Board with all arrangements for the matches in Dubai. Interestingly, both media officials—Emmad Hameed and Faisal Khokhar—are Pakistani, and it’s heartening to see fellow countrymen doing well abroad.

I couldn’t spot Babar Azam among the Pakistani players. Some UAE journalist friends confirmed that they hadn’t seen him disembark from the team bus either. The other players started with football, followed by catching practice and knocking sessions. Later, I learned that this was an optional session, and since there were no net practices, Babar preferred to rest. Spin coach Abdul Rehman was also present for the team’s only spinner, and he, along with Shahid Aslam, was seen jogging around the ground.

A Pakistani-origin journalist from Europe, Haider, mentioned that due to an ICC error, India’s national anthem was accidentally played for a few seconds during an Australia-England match in Lahore. First, in Dubai they removed Pakistan’s name from the India-Bangladesh match, and now this anthem blunder—are these honest mistakes or deliberate actions? The ICC needs to investigate such incidents. Meanwhile, India continues to spread baseless news, like the false story about Rachin Ravindra’s phone being stolen in Karachi, which never happened. The teams are receiving foolproof security; there’s no chance of such incidents occurring.

During Pakistan’s training session, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi arrived to boost the players’ morale, meeting officials and players alike. Upon noticing me, he approached and greeted me warmly, asking when I had arrived. Despite being the second-most important figure in the country, his humility stood out. Some fellow journalists asked him a few questions, and though he hesitated, he answered briefly.

Later, I spotted the team’s media manager—whose name I never seem to remember. I jokingly told him that my size makes me hard to miss, so there was no way he couldn’t have seen me during the press conference. He simply said he hadn’t see me, and I walked away with a smile.

At ICC events, restrictions are tight—you can’t record videos on match days, and even before that, only practice footage aired on TV is allowed. So, I had to step outside to record a video for Express News. There, I met two Indian fans who wanted to meet Babar Azam. They asked if “Babar Ajjam” was practicing, and when I told them he hadn’t come, they were disappointed. They mentioned that Babar was their favorite cricketer.

Back at the hotel, I found messages from friends asking who was winning. I told them that while my heart hopes for Pakistan to win, the current performance doesn’t make it seem easy. However, one thing is certain—it’s going to be a tough contest. All tickets were already sold out, and now they’re being resold on the black market for three to four times the original price. Hopefully, Sunday’s match will be exciting. If Pakistan wins, fans’ interest in the tournament will remain high; otherwise, it might lose its spark. Let’s hope the players don’t disappoint their supporters.