There were several hundred Pakistanis present but the main crowd quite openly supported the Pakistani team.
JUBAL, SAUDI ARABIA: On March 23, Dhaka’s Sher-e-Bangla national stadium was nearly about filled to its capacity. Stands were packed with youngsters wearing green jerseys. A number of them had their faces painted green and white. While waving Pakistani flags, the youths were chanting Pakistan Zindabad, Bangladesh Zindabad.
There were several hundred Pakistanis present in the stadium, but the main crowd quite openly supported the Pakistani team. Given our history, this was a great gesture from the people of Bangladesh. Now everyone is waiting for March 30, when India and Pakistan will face each other in Mohali. One would not like to see the repeat of scenes from the 1999 Asian Cricket Championship in Kolkata, when the Eden Gardens stadium was quite literally turned into a battleground.
One hopes that the crown on March 30, will see the match in a sporting spirit and help show the rest of the world that the people of India and Pakistan accept the other along with their good and bad points.
Masood Khan
Published in The Express Tribune, March 27th, 2011.
