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Tension On As Pakistan, Afghanistan Fans Allotted Different Stands For Tri-Series In Sharjah

Arnav Chopra

PAK vs AFG (Source: AFP Photos)PAK vs AFG (Source: AFP Photos)

It's high time for the T20I Tri-Nation series between Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to be played at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium from August 29. However, a few days before the commencement of the series, the Sharjah cricketing authorities have announced a major step.

Different Seating For Different Nationalities

In a news story coming from Sharjah, which is likely to bring some peace in the stadium, the Sharjah cricketing authority has decided to allocate different stands to people of different nationalities during the highly hot-tempered Pakistan-Afghanistan clashes in the Tri-Nation T20I series, set to be played in the UAE from August 29th,  according to a report from Geo News.

The fact that both nations have had some high-pressure, tense moments, both on and off the field, has further contributed to fan clashes in the past, resulting in serious injuries to supporters of both nations during the games.

To avoid such calamity this time around, the authorities have decided to offer different seating areas for fans from different nationalities, from Pakistan and Afghanistan.

A security protocol will be followed, unlike in the past, as clashes are expected, considering both teams will be facing each other atleast twice in this series and then, the upcoming Asia Cup as well.

It is also mentioned that a huge number of spectators are expected at the tournament, considering the UAE has a large group of expats of both Afghan and Pakistani nationalities.

The organisers have confirmed that these fans will only be seated with people of their specific nationality during the tournament, and no fans of different countries will be seated in the same area.

The capacity of the Sharjah Cricket Stadium is 16,000, which is expected to be completely full as the demand for tickets is likely to soar in the coming days.

Pakistan And Afghanistan's Interesting Face-Offs

For the record, both sides have faced each other in seven T20I matches so far, where Pakistan has the upper hand with four wins, whereas Afghanistan has won three of the remaining occasions.

The highly anticipated Tri-Nation T20I series will be played between Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the UAE from August 29th to September 7th, before the Asia Cup, which is set to be played from September 9th.

Moreover, the series was initially planned to be played between Afghanistan and Pakistan. However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) decided to expand it to add the UAE, the host nation, into the setup, to add more glamour and dynamism to this series.

The first match will be played between rivals Pakistan and Afghanistan on August 29th, while the final is scheduled for September 7th, with the top two teams from the league stage qualifying.