Fans divided over Babar’s absence but united for India match

“Going to Dubai Stadium, are you? Which teams are playing? Ever since Babar Azam was dropped from the Pakistan team, I’ve stopped watching cricket altogether,” the taxi driver said.

Hearing this, I smiled. He’s not alone—many fans think the same way. Undoubtedly, Babar is Pakistan’s biggest star at the moment, with a massive fan following. However, the team management is now relying on new players for modern-day cricket. Only when they perform well will people’s opinions begin to change.

The match against India will be a golden opportunity—strong performances there could make a big difference. Since the big games of the Asia Cup haven’t started yet, the hype hasn’t built up, but the Pakistan–India clash will change the atmosphere completely.

During the Pakistan–Oman match, the stadium wasn’t crowded as expected, though a few fans in green shirts could still be seen. Whenever the song “Dil Dil Pakistan” played, the atmosphere became lively. Green crescent flags were also waving. Fans may be angry with the team, but they haven’t stopped supporting it. After all, frustration is only shown to loved ones. The same fans who put players on a pedestal when they play well also have every right to be upset when performances are poor.

In Pakistan’s first Asia Cup game, just like the stadium, many media center seats were also empty. But I know this won’t be the case on Sunday. A large number of journalists will arrive from India, while only a few have come from Pakistan so far. However, under the leadership of Emmad Hameed, most of the Pakistani media team is doing a fine job. Faisal Khokhar and Sumeera Sana are particularly notable.

Right now, the hottest topic is tickets for the Pakistan–India match. In the past, as soon as sales opened, the website would show “sold out” within minutes. But when I checked recently, tickets were still available in some enclosures. The organizers adopted a new strategy this time. Fearing empty stadiums in matches involving smaller teams, they introduced packages. To buy a Pakistan–India ticket, you also had to buy tickets for a few other games. Perhaps that’s why sales were slow at first. But as more tickets were released, sales increased. It now looks certain that Sunday will be “house full.”

Meanwhile, in India there’s a campaign to boycott the match against Pakistan. Their team was also expected to pull out, but the cricket board stood firm and is facing criticism for it. Personally, I don’t believe that when Pakistan and India face each other, people will just switch off their TVs. Even those talking about boycotts will secretly watch.

I spoke to a Pakistani fan in a green shirt who had come with his family from England to watch the Pakistan–India game in Dubai. They had even attended the Oman match earlier. When I asked about the sentiment that “without Babar, there’s no cricket,” he smiled and said, “That’s true, but how can I abandon my team? Since you’re a journalist, please tell the PCB to bring Babar back. Without him, the stadium feels empty.” I assured him I would convey his message.

During Pakistan’s batting, when Saim Ayub was out on his very first ball, a journalist remarked, “Hope this doesn’t turn into an upset.” Fortunately, it didn’t.

Mohammad Haris’ career seemed to be on shaky ground. More than repeated failures, the criticism surrounding Babar Azam hurt him the most. On social media, “Babar Army” trolled Haris so badly that he lost his confidence. But against Oman, he looked better with the bat and scored a half-century after quite some time. With his cap off while batting, his smiling face made it clear that his lost confidence was returning.

The Indian team is also fully preparing for the clash with Pakistan. Today as well, the players spent several hours at the ICC Academy. Constant criticism may have put them under pressure. They must fear that if they lose to Pakistan, what awaits them back home? Pakistan should take advantage of that.

Although the Green Shirts beat Oman, questions were raised about being restricted to 160 runs. But a win is still a win—and it has its own value. Now it all depends on how the players perform against India. If they succeed, the ones who play well will become overnight superstars. Such opportunities are rare—they must seize it.