Pak ‘miracle man’ Cricket Chacha on his 4th visit here

A constant supporter of the Pakistan team through the thick and the think,Jalil has been dubbed as a mascot by the Pakistan cricketers and if he has brought luck to the team on several occasions,then they might need some even more on Wednesday.

Easily recognisable with his white beard,always dressed in a green kurta-kameez and the traditional white cap with a sequined star and crescent moon,Jalil would be the man the Pakistan players would look up to whenever they are in need of a miracle.

“I have seen many matches in life but this is the biggest match ever I am going to witness. Insha Allah,the Pakistan team will win. My wishes are with them. I hope both the teams play with good spirit and sportsmanship. I have been here three times before and I feel at home,” said the 61-year-old from Sialkot after his arrival to Chandigarh.

Ever since the news of arrival of hundreds of Pakistan fans across the border to watch the World Cup semi-final encounter at Mohali reached the ears of the CID officials,the preparations of their arrival and to greet their Pakistan counterparts began since Tuesday morning. After waiting for the whole day at their office,the officials reached the Sector 16 stadium,their eyes fixed at the stadium gate. Their enthusiasm started to disappear when nobody turned out at the stadium even till 8 pm.

“We were informed that around 211 people,including wives and children,had arrived at the Wagah border and have left to Chandigarh in taxis. We have been waiting since 9 in the morning and nobody has turned out yet. The chances of anybody coming here for registration looks bleak,” said a CID officer.

He further informed that people from Pakistan with monthly income of more than Rs 3 lakh were exempted from registering their names with the CID,while only those with lower income need to register their names. “It seems all the guests are VIP and people with income of more than three lakh per month. That’s why nobody has come here,” he added. Meanwhile,some residents from Chandigarh continued to wait for the guests from the other side of the border.

“We have some guests coming from Pakistan. They informed us they would reach here by 6 pm. It is already 8 pm and they haven’t reached yet. We will wait for them for some more time,” said Seema Gupta,a resident of Sector 49.