Until the success of the Indian team was all but assured, the Pakistani spectators were unable to breathe easy.
KARACHI: I was lucky enough to be able to go to Mohali to watch the semi-final match with India. The media and our Indian hosts showered us with heart-warming affection from the minute we crossed the Wagah border all the way to our hotel. However, this was not at all the case with the security staff at the stadium.
Our seats were right in the middle of one of the main stands, with a sea of blue all around us. This was perhaps a bit intimidating, but we resolved to focus on the match and what would happen on the field. However, I couldn’t help but notice that the Indian openers were cheered onto the field — as they would have been — while our players were hooted, booed and hurled abuses at when they entered the playing area. We, however, clapped and cheered both the green and blue teams.
Also, it must be said that the organisers seemed quite unaware that they were hosting an international World Cup match, and for them this was an occasion to serenade and glorify the Indian Cricket team. However, that is exactly what happened with songs which had phrases like Khoon kee holi in them played all the time. I felt as if until the game reached the point where the success of the Indian team was all but assured, most of the handful of Pakistani spectators were unable to breathe easy.
My purpose in writing this is to explain to the Pakistanis in Pakistan that it is easy to be judgemental while sitting in your homes in your own country. Without offering any excuses for our team’s mistakes, I must remind all of you that it was more than cricket that was being played there. And with that in mind I admire our players who braved it out against the immense odds with such good grace. The best of teams, and our team is very good, would have their hands full against the sea of hostility that our players were up against. To our captain and team I will say tum jeeto ya haro, humein tum se pyaar hai.
Shazia Abid Zuberi
Published in The Express Tribune, April 4th, 2011.
