KARACHI: The sun rose over Karachi on Wednesday morning, its rays glinting off the National Stadium`s newlyinstalled seats; the anticipation building for the Champions Trophy opener.

The city, usually a whirlwind of honking rickshaws and bustling bazaars, hummed with a different energy today.

Green nags snapped in the breeze, street vendors hawked jerseys emblazoned with `Babar` and `Shaheen,` and the air carried the scent of freshly brewed karak chai.

After nearly 30 years, Pakistan was hosting an ICC event again, and Karachi was determined to make it unforgettable.

The last time Pakistan hosted an ICC tournament was in 1996. Since then, the country`s cricketing journey had been a saga of triumphs and trials from the 2009 T20 World Cup win to the isolationthat followed the 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan team. A page had been turned.

`Really happy that Pakistan is finally hosting an ICC event,` veteran journalist Ehsan Qureshi, who covered the 1996 World Cup, told Dawn.

`Although cricket has changed a lot but it`s evident that love for the game remains the same.

The National Stadium, now a modern colosseum with its sea of bucket seats and towering LED screens, stood as a testament to Pakistan`s revival.

Fans streamed into the stands, their green jerseys and colorful cultural dresses lit up the arena.

At noon, the stadium erupted as former captain Sarfraz Ahmed the triumphant skipper of Pakistan`s 2017 Champions Trophy winwalked onto the field, flanked by President Asif Ali Zardariand his daughter, Asifa Zardari. Sarfraz held the glittering trophy aloft, his smile mirrored by the President and Asifa, who waved warmly to the roaring crowd.

`This trophy is a symbol of what Pakistan can achieve,` a fan cried, his voice trembling with excitement.

SKY-STIRRING PRELUDE The ceremony shifted gears as children paraded onto the field, clutching the flags of Pakistan and New Zealand.

The crowd`s roar crescendoed when the teams emerged with the stadium transformed into a choir, every voice rising in unison as Pakistan`s national anthem was played.

As the final notes faded, the skies exploded with green and white smoke trails from Pakistan Air Force jets soaring overhead. The thunderous applause that followed rattledthe stands.

`Pve never felt prouder to be Pakistani,` said a college student, her face painted with a crescent and star.

There was pandemonium at every New Zealand wicket that fell; chants of `Pakistan Zindabad` on every delivery.

Between overs, the crowd synced their claps to Queen`s `We Will Rock You`, their energy unyielding even as New Zealand`s middle order fought back. Near the Intikhab Alam Enclosure, a flag bearing `Pakistan ki Shaan` fluttered defiantly, while cultural drummers added a rhythmic pulse to the chaos.

For Pakistan, this was more than a match it was a reclaiming of legacy. As the sun dipped below the horizon, the message was clear: cricket had returned home. The result, Pakistan`s loss, for once, didn`t matter.-Ahmed Ali