ISLAMABAD: Around 24,000 tickets of Pakistan-India match of Champions Trophy scheduled for February 23 at the Sports City Stadium in Dubai were purchased within minutes after they were floated online.

When it comes to the Pakistan-India cricket match, buying tickets becomes a challenging job. There is no difference this time around as the tickets for February 23 match have become a rare commodity.

Thousands willing to buy tickets were unable to purchase these. The only way left for them is to purchase these in the black market. “Majority of the tickets were purchased by those eager to put these back in the black-market.

You cannot expect that such a huge number of tickets are purchased by enthusiasts within minutes after these were put on sale,” Munir Syed, an American Pakistani who owns a business in Dubai said.

He added that he was eager to watch the match as he did during the T20 World Cup played between the two countries at NASA County Stadium in New York. “When I touched the system half hour after these were put on sale, everything was sold out. After checking with the concerned I was told that minutes after these were floated, all were purchased.”

Munir feared that the whole lot was purchased by selected companies/private owners who planned to sell these back in the black-market. “In black market just a day after the entire ticket stock was purchased, the ticket value has gone up considerably.

The Dirham 125 ticket now has been put on sale for 800 AED just a day after its normal purchase. You can well imagine the value of the ticket closer to February 23. The black-marketeers would fetch a huge profit and that is what they are up to.”

Kashif Aman, Dubai University of Wollongong, student (affiliated with Australian University) said he hoped to buy tickets together with friends, he was planning to watch the all-important match.

“To my surprise I could not find a single one as all were sold out in minutes after going on sale.” He also feared that someone or a few companies purchased these with the hope to sell in the open market.

“It is highly impossible that you can buy these in such a short period of time unless and until you are buying it in bulk or have already planned for it. Now the turn of black-marketing comes but students like me, having limited resources cannot even think of purchasing these through black market.”

Kashif said that a Pakistan-India match anywhere in the world required much bigger stadiums. Mere 25000 and around capacity stadium in Dubai where millions of expats live, cannot cater the needs of a huge cricket following.”