Delhi match tickets sold out

After waiting hours -- in some cases days -- for a ticket to the high-profile India – Pakistan sixth One-Day International in Delhi, only a few were rewarded for their patience on Friday.

Just a few hundred fans were able to lay their hands on the tickets for Sunday's match after braving the scorching sun and tight security arrangements, while many who had to return empty-handed as the tickets were sold out within hours.

While tickets of Rs 11,000, Rs 5,000 and Rs 1,000 denominations were sold through the Parliament Street branch of Central Bank of India, those costing Rs 400 and students passes, valued at Rs 200, were sold through its Kashmere Gate branch.

The Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) had earmarked 12,150 tickets for the general public for the last one-dayer, at the Ferozeshah Kotla ground.

Out of these, it handed over 2,050 tickets to the Pakistan Cricket Board for the fans from that country. Another 3,000 tickets were kept aside for the DDCA League Club members, which meant that only 7,000 tickets were left for common fans.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf will be among a host of dignitaries who will watch the match.

Though the ticket counters opened only at 10.30 am, fans had lined up from Thursday evening itself.

"I had camped here from 5 pm last evening for this ticket," said a jubilant and bleary-eyed Rishipal Singh, the first to buy a ticket at the Parliament Street branch.

"I am going to gift it to my son Ankur, who performed very well in his Class 11 examination," he said.

Singh made two false starts before finally pocketing his ticket. He was among a large number

of fans who queued up for hours on Wednesday before bank officials announced a postponement in ticket sales. He returned on Thursday too, but the bank was closed on account of Ambedkar Jayanti.

However, buying tickets was not a pleasant experience for women as bank authorities did not made arrangements for a separate queue for them, perhaps the reason why only a few of them turned up.

"We had to face cat-calls the entire duration we were standing in queue. The manager should be ashamed for not making separate arrangements for us," said a harried woman.

However, this did not deter Laxmi, who waited in line from 1 am to become the first woman to buy a ticket - costing Rs 5,000.

"I will not sell it to anyone even if I get Rs 20,000," she said, with a grin on her face.

Fans turned up from places as far way as Bareilly and Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh and Rewari in Haryana to grab a ticket.

There were even some foreign tourists who joined the queue.

Jacob, from Salsbury in England, said he was standing in the queue since 5 am today.

"But it was worth it, nothing like an Indo-Pak encounter," he said, as a couple from Holland nodded in agreement.

Standing in queue for hours was not the only problem fans faced.

The student passes and tickets costing Rs 400 and Rs 1,000 were sold out within an hour-and-a-half of the opening of counters.

Disappointed fans then almost went on the rampage, alleging that bank officials and policemen posted on duty had sold off a large number of tickets in 'black'.

"Otherwise, how can all the tickets be sold out in such a short time?" asked Amjad, almost on the verge of tears.

However, bank officials refused to talk to the media on the issue or disclose the exact number of tickets sold.