Pakistan

Disappointed fans stage mock funeral for cricket team after defeat

Residents of Multan organise symbolic funeral procession, replete with a coffin and several bats placed over it

Afp February 21, 2015

MULTAN: Cricket fans in Multan held a mock funeral for the national cricket team on Saturday after a record-shattering World Cup defeat at the hands of the West Indies.

Residents of the city organised a symbolic funeral procession, replete with a coffin with several cricket bats placed over it, directing their anger at the national team after a poor start to the tournament that has also seen it defeated by arch-rivals India.

Read: West Indies bounce back with 150-run rout of Pakistan

"This time we were really hoping for Pakistan to win," Shama Bibi, one of those taking part, told AFP.

"We don't want to watch this anymore."

Another demonstrator who gave her name only as Rafia blamed the Pakistan Cricket Board for what she said were poor selections and politicisation of the game.

Cricket fans elsewhere in the country, meanwhile, staged their own protests to show their frustration with the national side.

Cricket fans burn an effigy of team captain Misbahul Haq at a protest in Lahore. PHOTO: AFP

Chasing the West Indies's first innings total of 310 runs, Pakistan gave up its first four wickets for just one run -- the worst start in one-day international history -- before eventually losing by 150 runs.

Read: #PakvWI: Flopped, dropped and mocked

Pakistan, winners of the 1992 World Cup, now sit at the bottom of Pool B and will resume their faltering campaign against Zimbabwe in Brisbane on March 1.

Watch a video of the mock funeral here:

COMMENTS (7)

jagmohan | 9 years ago | Reply Doing Funeral is a Tamasha despite peoples injured feelings and anger, the whole world is looking and laughing at.Be more patient and positive and donot discourage players sitting at home.Need to pray for them and pardon for their failure,still there is a chance for the team to come out of difficulties.Pak team has its standing and name in the world. I wish them very well from the USA, as a neighbor.

Lahore wala | 9 years ago | Reply The team should take a long long vacation. Maybe live in Kenya or Zanzibar for six months before returning.

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Ih | 9 years ago | Reply Donot get bent out of shape. It looks like good fun. After it is game,a cricket match somebody's win is another teams loss.

Mohammad Ali Siddiqui | 9 years ago | Reply The nation is expecting that Pakistani Cricket Team will return to the country by any Malaysian Airline flight.

raider | 9 years ago | Reply should this nation stage a mock funerals when najm sathi was appointed as chairman PCB, and should this nation stage a mock funeral when loot and plunder had climaxed, how funny the peoples are come out for cricket not for their futiure

Khan | 9 years ago | Reply @Aslam: Relax with the wows. Could have been the cameraman's relatives for a quick story. Even if not, the team completely deserves it.

Aslam | 9 years ago | Reply Wow! Just Wow! this is the level of understanding of the average person. Shame. No wonder the nation lags behind in all fields including cricket. Till the mentality of the average person doesn't change, there can be no change.

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