 "Poor crowd turnout at Champions Trophy opener sparks a debate online. Image: JioHotstar")
The much-anticipated Champions Trophy 2025 kicked off in Pakistan, marking the country’s first major ICC event since the 1996 Cricket World Cup. However, while the tournament’s return to Pakistan was expected to be met with huge support from local fans, the opening match saw surprisingly low attendance, sparking concerns.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan was among the first to comment on the poor crowd turnout. He took to his official social media handle to slam the tournament organisers, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), over the low attendance at Karachi’s National Bank Stadium. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), he wrote:
“Great to see the Champions Trophy being played in Pakistan… First major event since 1996… Have they forgotten to tell the locals it’s on… Where is the crowd??”
Vaughan’s remarks were echoed by several cricket fans and analysts, who were left puzzled by the lack of spectators in what was supposed to be a historic moment for Pakistan cricket. Social media was abuzz with reactions to the empty stands. Many fans expressed their disappointment, questioning whether the PCB and ICC had done enough to promote the tournament domestically.
However, some local fans had a different take on the situation, suggesting that the crowd would start filling in later in the evening due to the hot and humid weather in Karachi right now. Some said that since it is a working day in Pakistan, spectators will start filling in after 5 in the evening.