It’s a houseful at Mohali

DHAKA: Getting hold of a ticket to go to the Pakistan-India semifinal in Mohali is next to impossible, so is finding a hotel room in Chandigarh or any other adjoining city.
Even journalists, planning to cover the March 30 semifinal, are facing major problems in booking hotel rooms ahead of the match.
All hotels and guest houses are completely packed ahead of the eagerly-awaited World Cup clash between the arch-rivals. According to travel agents, hotels of all hues — budget or upscale ones — have been blocked for March 29 and 30.
Chandigarh, which is 10-km from Mohali, is the main city where the teams, officials and most fans will based in.
At the city’s top two hotels - Taj and Mountview — more than half of the rooms have been reserved for the playing teams, officials and staff from the ICC, the BCCI and the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA).
According to reports, government guest houses, three-star and budget hotels have all been booked ahead of the March 30 semifinal.
Tickets, too, are a scarce commodity. But unlike hotel rooms they can be obtained from the black market. According to reports, tickets are being sold in black more than ten times their face value. A Rs 250 ticket is now being sold for Rs 3,000 Rs 500 tickets are available for Rs 5,000. A Rs1000 ticket is being sold at Rs 6,500-7,000.