Fans not able to attend games will be able to watch Pakistan play on tv and the internet

Pakistan’s remaining four ODI fixtures before the Champions Trophy group games kick off will all be broadcast live.

Pakistan first take on Ireland in two ODIs in Belfast on the 23rd and the 26th of May. Both games will be streamed on You Tube Live from Cricket Ireland’s page, as confirmed to Pakistan captain Misbah Ul Haq on QUIPUTV. Following these two matches, Pakistan then play two warm up games against Sri Lanka (30th May, Edgbaston) and South Africa (3rd June, Oval), which will both be shown live by host broadcaster Sky Sports, as confirmed via their twitter feed.

Fans not able to attend the Ireland games or the warm up matches should make a note in their diaries to avoid missing out on the action.

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With captain Misbah Ul Haq coming to the rescue in the first game against Scotland, we were all set for another exciting contest in the second ODI, only for the rain to intervene resulting in the game being washed out. Nevertheless, the trip was made worthwhile as the Pakistan squad and staff kindly took the time to meet the fans, sign autographs and have their photos taken.
Click here for the complete gallery of our photos from the trip to Scotland.

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Pakistan’s two warm up games will whet the appetite for what is set to be an exciting tournament

The ICC has released tickets for the six Champions Trophy warm up matches. Pakistan will play in two of them with the first at Edgbaston in Birmingham and the second at the Oval in London.

Fans will be pleased to know they can now purchase tickets for the Champions Trophy warm up games from the official ICC ticketing website. Pakistan will play the first of their two warm ups on Thursday the 30th of May against Sri Lanka at Edgbaston, with the game starting at 1:00 pm. Their second warm up game will be played on Monday the 3rd of June against South Africa at the Oval, with the game starting at 10:30 am.

Tickets are priced at £15 for adults and £5 for under 16s, and can be purchased from the official ticketing website with a maximum of 8 tickets per customer.

Pakistan’s warm up matches:

- Thursday 30th May versus Sri Lanka, Edgbaston 1:00 pm

- Monday 3rd June versus South Africa, Oval 10:30 am

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Stani Army’s Mr Pakistan at Edgbaston

Stani Army is delighted to bring you photos from our tour of Edgbaston cricket ground in Birmingham, where we were granted rare behind the scenes access of the stadium, a ground where Pakistan greats such as Imran Khan and Javed Miandad have graced the pitch. Edgbaston will be hosting two of Pakistan’s group games for the upcoming Champions Trophy in June, and we were also excited to get our hands on the official ICC Champions Trophy which was in Birmingham for a short stay.

Before the tour of the stadium, members took part in a photo campaign officially authorised by the ICC and endorsed by Warwickshire County Cricket Club (WCCC). The campaign titled “Call for Action”, sees fans have their photos taken in front of local landmarks, whilst displaying the official ICC Champions Trophy Pakistan team specific artwork, as seen in the photos with our members stood in front of the famous Bullring in Birmingham. In a joint venture between Stani Army and CTEC Cricket, we will soon be asking fans around the world to have their photo taken holding up a print out of the official poster, stood at a local landmark dressed in their favourite Pakistan outfit, and then send them in to us. Photos will be published on staniarmy.com and possibly be used by WCCC and the ICC.

Stani Army would like to thank the ICC, WCCC, CTEC Cricket, Tom Rawlings, Sean Miller & Rick our guide from Warwickshire, who helped make it such an enjoyable and memorable day.

We would also like to thank photographer Junaid Shaheen, BBC Radio’s Ruchi Tandon, Nahim Ullah Khan of The Feast, The Sheikh of Pakistan, The Doctor, The King of Pakistan, Larry Cricket, Ferhan Kiani Azad, The Mexican, Raza, and the two wonderful kids.

Follow the link to view the complete gallery: Edgbaston tour & StaniArmy/CTEC Call for Action campaign

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Pakistan v India tickets are still available as reasonably priced package deals

Fans hoping to attend Pakistan’s matches at the Champions Trophy will be delighted to know that tickets for all of Pakistan’s group games are still available through official outlets.

Pakistan will be playing their three ICC Champions Trophy group games against West Indies, South Africa and India, and supporters are advised that tickets are still available for all three fixtures through official channels, and that they should purchase promptly in order to avoid disappointment.

The West Indies fixture at the Oval in London has limited seats available in two stands with under 16 tickets for £5 and single adult tickets for £50. The South Africa fixture at Edgbaston in Birmingham has far more seats available with only two of the eight stands sold out. Under 16 tickets are £5, under 21s £10, and adult tickets for £35 and £50 depending on stand and seat. As expected, tickets for the India game are sold out via the official ticketing site, yet fans will be happy to know that package deals are still available from the website of the official travel partner of the ICC. With package deals starting at £162 including ticket, one night’s stay at a 3-star hotel and breakfast, we advise fans to take up these reasonable offers rather than purchasing tickets from illegal ticket touts who are charging extortionate amounts on the black market. Package deals for other games including the semi-finals and the final are also available.

Any tickets that are illegally advertised for resale on the black market can be cancelled by the ICC, and fans who then pay over the odds for them may find that they will be prevented from entering grounds, not only missing out on the match, but losing out on their hard earned money. Over 200 tickets have already been cancelled this way. Therefore, we advise fans who are desperate to attend the India fixture in particular, that they would be better off going for one of the official package deals.

You can visit the ICC’s official ticketing website here to purchase tickets for the West Indies and South Africa fixtures. The package deals for the India fixture can be purchased here from the official travel partner of the ICC.

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The Sheikh of Pakistan

In the first part of our series on our touring members, we bring you the Sheikh of Pakistan:

When did your love for Pakistan cricket begin?
My love for Pakistan cricket started when l was about four years old. My parents would watch Pakistan play cricket and get so excited and happy. Every time they hit a 6 or a 4 they would shout out “Chikha” or “Chokha” and each time Pakistan took a wicket again they would celebrate. That for me at the age of four years was fantastic. It gave me the license to jump around go wild and my parents wouldn’t tell me off…great! l began to like the Pakistan team because every time they would play l’d get away with being naughty. And just to add if ever Pakistan won a match us kids would get treated to a bag of chips. Back in the seventies and eighties the only time we would have chips would be on Eid or if Pakistan won a match. I remember my father having this huge radio that he would tune into Pakistan news and sports and he’d sit there listening carefully to the match and every so often he’d shout out in joy…oh it was fantastic we would celebrate with him not really knowing why and what we were celebrating.

Which was the first Pakistan game you attended?
My first ever Pakistan cricket match was when l was about eight years old. We were in Lahore at the old Gaddafi Stadium… it was Pakistan against England. l went along with my Mahmo (uncle) on his motorbike. It was the first time l sat on a motorbike and the first time l went to watch a Pakistan cricket match. I was well excited. That to me was the highlight of my holiday in Pakistan. Oh not to mention we ate samosas at the ground and l had a bottled drink. I was having the time of my life. The crowd was so passionate it was an amazing atmosphere. I would cheer along, be singing and dancing with my Mahmo it was great.

Why are you so passionate about Pakistan cricket?
Why am l so passionate about Pakistan cricket…because l’ve been following it from a very young age. It brings people together, it unites us all, it identifies us a Pakistanis, it brings joy and happiness to so many people across the globe and it’s simply a great sport. Winning is ultimately the best part of the game. Losing is also part of the game. So win lose or draw l still passionately love Pakistan cricket. I’ve always been interested and concerned with all the controversy surrounding Pakistan cricket. Even at the matches they are so unpredictable you just don’t know what team’s going to turn up on the day. Which adds to the excitement of the game. Pakistan has such talented players that they on the day can outshine any team and any player. They break records with their quality performances and unfortunately break records with their poor performances, but thats part of the game and that’s what makes them an exciting team to follow. I’ve seen and heard how hard our Pakistani players practice and try their level best so we shouldn’t feel disheartened if we lose. Besides we can’t win all the time… just most of the time.

Coming to the more recent past, describe your outfit and why you chose this character?
As you may gather, l’ve been passionate about Pakistan cricket for many years. I’ve always felt I wish l could give something back to the players for their hard work, their effort, their entertainment and determination to continue to strive and struggle. So back in 2010 at my home ground Edgbaston Birmingham, Pakistan was playing Australia in two T20s. I decided to hire an Incredible Hulk fancy dress costume. Which l wore to the second match. Along with me was my nephew who dressed up as a Ninja Turtle. We had such a great time that l thought to myself l’d love to dress up in all Pakistan’s matches. We managed to meet the players after the game who were absolutely thrilled to see us in our superhero outfits. But to us they were our superheroes. This was the day l met Mr Pakistan and Pakman at Edgbaston who like me made their first ever appearance in fancy dress. We became friends from there.

A short while after the match l started to take lslam more seriously and started practicing being a Muslim. I decided to grow my beard in accordance to the teachings and command of Muhammad peace be upon him. Pakistan was touring England and l went to watch the decider at The Rose Bowl in Southampton and didn’t feel it right to dress up as a character as l now resembled the Sunnah of a Muslim. I went with my Pakistan t-shirt. I missed being a character. Nevertheless in 2012 l got invited to tour Sri Lanka for the World Cup T20 by Mr Pakistan. He was determined to get me on this tour and wanted me to dress up as a character. I then went to the drawing board and after spending hours on end found an Arab Sheikh costume which l felt would be appropriate for me to wear which wouldn’t comprise my religious beliefs. I then custom made it to my specification. And away l went to Sri Lanka to watch Pakistan play.

When did you first hear of Stani Army?
I first heard of Stani Army from Mr Pakistan a few years ago when he invited me to the Caribbean tour back in 2011. The only trouble was l had used up all my holiday entitlement for that year and was unable to go with him. He then mentioned about Stani Army being the same as the Barmy Army but instead with Pakistani fans. It sounded great. I did say to Mr Pakistan when you next plan to go away to let me know and so he did with Sri Lanka hosting the T20 World Cup. This time l was ready to go.

When was your first tour as part of the Stani Army and how was the experience?
My first match as the new Sheikh Of Pakistan was when Pakistan played New Zealand in Pallekelle in Sri Lanka. I remember walking into the ground and noticed how people were stopping to stare at me. It felt great l was liked for wearing my outfit. Fortunately we beat New Zealand in the qualifying game. I was enjoying the response I was getting from the fans and the staff at the ground not to mention the media they would stop us, the Stani Army, for interviews. It was better than I expected.

I recently went to Scotland to watch Pakistan play Scotland but unfortunately it was called off due to bad weather. My next tour is on Sunday 26th May 2013 lnsha Allah (God willing). And then l intend to follow all Pakistan’s matches as l had purchased the tickets back in November lnsha Allah. I am looking to continue with my tours abroad lnsha Allah.

Which was the most memorable match you have been to as The Sheikh of Pakistan?
The most memorable match as The Sheikh of Pakistan was when we played South Africa in Columbo. It wasn’t looking good for us at one stage we were chasing a score but kept losing wickets. It was Mughrib (prayer) time approaching so I gathered a few of us and went out of the stadium to pray…at that point we lost another wicket. The two batsmen at the crease were Umar Akmal and Umar Gul. We continued to pray and before we left l looked at the scoreboard and thought it’s going to take a miracle to win from here. As we prayed Mughrib salah, we kept hearing a lot of noises, none the wiser of what was going on and when we got back to the stadium we saw the score and said Subhan Allah (Glorious is God), both the Umars secured us victory. When we got back to our seats then others said it seems like Allah accepted your prays. All praise is due to Allah.

Sheikh, what was your most cherished memory of the Sri Lanka tour?
The most cherished moment l would say of the Sri Lanka tour was when we met the Pakistan cricket team. We met the lovely Kathy Whatmore, the wife of our fabulous coach Dav Whatmore, who arranged for us to meet the team for a short while. I remember seeing the reaction of the players and they looked amazed at us all dressed up in our respected outfits. The best reaction l got was from the great Saeed Ajmal who when he saw me said ‘Masha Allah’ (as God has willed). His facial expressions said it all. We had such a great time meeting the team l don’t think any of us slept that night we all were so excited and overwhelmed.

Any messages and advice for the Pakistan fans going to the Champions Trophy?
My message and advice for the fans ahead of the games would be: Enjoy the matches win lose or draw go out and be positive. Insha Allah we win the Champions Trophy 2013. Please be respectful to one another, to the opposition’s fans the ground staff. In fact to everyone. We want the world to know that the Pakistan fans are the best behaved and honourable fans. We want to do ourselves, our team and Pakistan proud.

If you can dress up please do. It will create such a great atmosphere to the games and try to create characters that nobody is because then you’re unique and you will get recognised for the character you are. The more characters we have the better our group of fans will look. Please do come over to meet the growing team. I would love to have my picture taken with yourselves. Pakistan Zindabad!!!!!!

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Be part of the Stani Army.

Stani Army have introduced a new registration facility for supporters wishing to become a member of the Stani Army. We have also opened up our comments facility for fans who wish to comment on the website without having to register or sign in.

We are pleased to announce that supporters can register as a member of the Stani Army and be a part of Pakistan cricket’s number one supporters group. Registration will allow members to tour around the world together as the Stani Army, as well as allowing them to take advantage of a range of activities Stani Army will be initiating and be involved in. For example, we are currently in discussion with Edgbaston cricket ground regarding activities concerning the upcoming Champions Trophy, which are currently awaiting ICC approval. Edgbaston is one of the venues Pakistan will be playing at during the Champions Trophy.

With a number of other initiatives in the pipeline, we hope to reach new heights in the near future and bring our members a range of benefits in relation to cricket tours/tournaments, travel, match tickets, hotels and tour sightseeing. So register here to stay up to date and share your love for Pakistan cricket with like-minded fans as a member of Pakistan’s number one supporters group.

In another change to the website, the comments sections have been opened up, so fans no longer need to register in order to comment on the website. Those who have previously registered in order to be able to comment on the website can now comment without needing to log in. If these previously registered supporters would like to be a member of the Stani Army, we ask that they re-register via the links provided above.

*Supporters that have previously registered as members will receive an email reminding them to update their Stani Army member registration.

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Details on tickets can be used for fraudulent means & should be obscured

Fans receiving their tickets for the Champions Trophy tournament should take precautions before posting images of their tickets online.

Supporters up and down the country have started receiving their tickets for the ICC Champions Trophy starting in June in England and Wales. We would first like to congratulate those of you who have managed to get tickets to attend matches and understand and share the joy and excitement of looking forward to attending the last Champions Trophy tournament to be played. With that acknowledged, we would like to urge fans to temper their excitement and take care when posting images of their tickets on social network websites.

We have noticed a number of fans posting images of their tickets online without hiding important details printed on their tickets. Fans are advised that should they want to post images of their tickets online, that they should obscure or blur out their name, row and seat number, and barcode which are all printed on the ticket. Fans who have already posted images without taking these precautions should endeavour to remove the images as soon as possible.

Fans should be aware that photos they post of their tickets that show important details can be used by others to falsely advertise their ticket for resale online, despite the actual ticket being in your possession. Reselling of tickets is illegal, therefore should the ICC see a ticket being advertised for resale, showing seat and row numbers, they will then cancel the ticket which will mean you will not be able to enter the ground even though you legitimately purchased your ticket.

It is also vital that you cover up the barcode as the barcode can be used to print counterfeit tickets. Should someone do so with your ticket and arrive at a game before you, you will find yourself in a predicament and most likely be banned from entering the stadium. The issue of fake tickets is of real concern and was the main reason why the ICC waited as late as possible to send out tickets to fans. Fans should not take this warning lightly.

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More much sought after tickets for the Pakistan v India clash will also be made available

The ICC will be releasing a further allocation of tickets for all Champions Trophy games this coming Monday.

Fans who have yet to purchase their tickets for the upcoming Champions Trophy in England and Wales will be happy to know that the ICC will be releasing a further allocation of tickets for all 15 fixtures on Monday the 8th of April from 10:30 am.

Tickets can be purchased via telephone on 0844 249 2013, or via the official ICC ticketing website.

Pakistan fans hoping to get to see their team in green should make a note in their diaries as tickets are expected to go fast.

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Pakistan will be looking to find form heading into the Champions Trophy in June

Tickets for Pakistan’s two ODI games against Scotland on Friday the 17th and Sunday the 19th of May, have gone on sale and can be purchased from the website of Cricket Scotland’s official ticket partner.

Single adult ticket prices are set at £34, with concessions for young and old as well as deals for school and club groups. Both games will be played at Grange Cricket Club Ground in Edinburgh, starting at 09:45 GMT, 10:45 local time.

Ticket prices for each match are as follows :

Adults – £34

Concessions

Over 60s – £27
Under 16s – £27
Students – £27

School/Club group discounts

2 Adults + 8 Children – £100
3 Adults + 12 Children – £150
4 Adults + 16 Children – £200

Please note that with each ticket purchased, fans will be entitled to the following benefits:

- Free membership to Cricket Scotland for 2013

- Bi-Monthly newsletter direct to your inbox from Cricket Scotland featuring the latest on upcoming matches, news, events and exclusive messages from the Scottish Players

- 15% off all Kalli Cricket Scotland Merchandise

- Electronic copy of the 2013 Cricket Scotland Annual Report direct to your inbox upon publishing

- 3 months’ Subscription to ‘All Out Cricket’ Magazine (delivered to your home each month. Worth £24) for the first 1,000 members only

- 15% discount off The Cricket Paper delivered to your inbox

- 10% discount off travel and accommodation booked through Superbreak

For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.

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