Pakistan

Welcome back!: Lost the battle, but won hearts

‘Grand reception’ held for the cricket team and board officials at PM house.

Maha Mussadaq April 12, 2011

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan cricket team was honoured with a grand reception by the Prime Minister (PM) Yusuf Raza Gilani, which was held at the PM house on Monday.

After a heart wrenching loss to arch-rivals India, in the World Cup semi finals almost two weeks ago, the team was welcomed back by the PM stating that “it was just a game and the nation should not take it too seriously.”

The reception was originally scheduled for last week, but was postponed due to the death anniversary of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. However, the PM held the “grand” event to assure the team of the nation’s support.

Before the reception, Gilani met with the team’s captain, Shahid Afridi, and the rest of the players. He congratulated them on their performance throughout the World Cup. The team which was out-of-favour from cricket experts and fans alike, managed to finish in the top four. This was duly acknowledged by the PM and other officials.

The main hall of the PM house was filled with guests, government officials, politicians and journalists that had come together to pay tribute to the team. The team, dressed in green blazers, was spotted mingling with everyone. A relatively relaxed environment allowed all to enjoy tea and snacks together.

Chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board Ejaz Butt and the team’s coach Waqar Younis were also among the participants.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Umar Gul, who is famous for his ‘lethal yorkers’, said that the team played well and it was nice to see how people supported them throughout. Adding to that, famous all-rounder, Abdul Razaq, said, “The event hosted by the PM was a great gesture and demonstrated the fact that we are united like a family no matter what.”

Likewise, Afridi appreciated the PM’s efforts and said, “We thank him and the whole nation for being so supportive. We will play the way we did or even better in West Indies.”

Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Sports Minister Engineer Shaukatullah and Information and Broadcast Minister Firdous Aashiq Awan also attended the reception.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 12^th, 2011.

COMMENTS (12)

Tahir | 13 years ago | Reply I don't understand why do we always bring religion into this. Pakistan lost to a better team. Why can't we be honest about it. This is no shame in losing a match. Don't we have enough troubles of our own. Why are we so obsessed about each other. Why do we keep calling each other enemy NO.1? I have traveled there for work & i was never treated in a bad way. Lets not forget; there are good & bad people everywhere. When will we come to know that India is not our enemy. Our enemy is the WESTERN world which wants PAK to remain poor. We are happy with our foreign exchange reserves at $17.5 billion whereas India is at $302.59 billion. Do we realize the difference. Why can't we grow? They will be 2nd largest economy in the world by 2025. Where will we be? Lets stop playing the blame game. Its time to move on in life. Its time to look at the future. We are similar people with similar thought process. Lets look at the future in a positive way.

e | 13 years ago | Reply @Hatim Hussain: Fanatics like you will always bring in religion into sport and give lame excuses for their team's crippled performances. If your team lost the SF to India just to save Indian Muslims, you should not have participated in the WC in the first place. In any case, Indian Muslims, whether in India or anywhere in the world, celebrated the Indian victory over Pakistan more than anyone else.

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kazmi | 13 years ago | Reply pakistan patriots ... your name doesn not make sense to me ... perhaps... its a non pakistani talking ... anyhow ... whts ur prove on match fixing... iwhenevr anyone loses a mtch .. they just accuse them of match fixing!!! pathetic!!! .,.. we are proud of them!!!!

Hatim Hussain | 13 years ago | Reply Gilani said in an statement that "cricket has brought the two nations closed." whereas the altered version of his statement should be that "loosing to India has brought the two nations closed." It is an open secret now that what would Indian Muslims have to suffer from Hindus if Pakistan had won the Semi Final. Keep loosing to India on every forum and we are sure to get closer and closer after every lost. Hatim Hussain Karachi

e | 13 years ago | Reply @Pakistan Patriots: Agree with you totally. Actually when Pakistan won the WC the first time too, the match was fixed.

Pakistan Patriots | 13 years ago | Reply Yeah coz they fixed the match, now they are giving prises to the team (UN KA HISSAA). Good on you............... I don't think so that Paki will ever win the world cup again, with this attitude........... All Over............

IronyDetector | 13 years ago | Reply haha...Gilani not taking it seriously....does he take ANYTHING seriously? looks like everything is a game to him

Muhammad Ilyas Khan | 13 years ago | Reply I can only smile at this: Lost the battle, but won hearts!...First of all was it a 'battle'? or a 'game'? if battle, loss means many of them would be killed (martyred!) so how many? Secondly 'won hearts'? whose? For me as a Pakistani they lost the game first and 'hearts' subsequently when Afridi said all the non-sense things. So lost everything! It is only FALSE PRIDE that we are still confering accolades on them and giving away cash prizes from the national exchequer of this poor nation! They lost an easy game miserably against the expectations of the nation and so must be held accountable instead of being rewarded!

Faisal | 13 years ago | Reply yeah, i guess they won the "small Indian hearts" too;)

Reader | 13 years ago | Reply “it was just a game and the nation should not take it too seriously.” Agreed, but this is our Pakistan, please take this seriously.....PM saab

e | 13 years ago | Reply If your PM says, "it was just a game and the nation should not take it too seriously”, what are Pakistanis belittling India on their win? Loads of bandwidth are being wasted by Pakistanis on how the WC that India received was "fake" or how the game was "fixed" or how both the Pakistani & SL teams were "threatened to lose" before the respective matches. Cry hoarse as much as you want to, you will not change the fact that INDIA ARE WC 2011 CHAMPIONS!!!

SK | 13 years ago | Reply Thanks God for some normal news sending positive vibes about our society in general.

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