From effigies being burnt to mock funerals being held, Pakistani cricket fans have had a busy time over the last couple of weeks thanks to their team’s disappointing performance in ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. Shiamak Unwalla writes a letter to these overly passionate fans.
Dear Pakistan cricket fans,
Losing to India must have hurt, given that they (well, we) are your arch-rivals. I’m sure you were all annoyed with the “Mauka Mauka” commercial; perhaps a lot of you can identify with having un-burst firecrackers since 1992.
But then your boys went and got thrashed by West Indies, a team that barely manages to hang on to its No. 8 position in ODI rankings. That must have stung. Shoaib Akhtar certainly believes that Misbah-ul-Haq, Shahid Afridi, Umar Akmal, and the others are a bunch of untalented losers. Perhaps you feel the same way.
Yes, Pakistan have had an abysmal World Cup so far. ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: POINTS TABLE
But do you really have to burn effigies of some of your players after just two losses? Some of you from Karachi even held a mock funeral — perhaps in homage to The Ashes — complete with a coffin and bats. Someone even filed a petition against the Pakistan cricket team in the Lahore high court. It’s nice to see how much synergy there is, but would your efforts have been better spent supporting your team rather than tearing it apart?
This is the same side that reached the World T20 final, won the 2009 World T20, and reached the semi-final of the 2011 World Cup. What is it exactly that they need to do in order to win some loyalty? Wait, scratch that. The question really is what should you do to earn their loyalty? They are the ones who are out there carrying the hopes and dreams of a country. How about a bit of positive reinforcement? I’m no psychologist, but I feel “Go ahead, we will support you” will reap better rewards than “If you lose again we will stone your houses.”
Some of you have already written off some of your senior pros. This is the same team that recently whitewashed Australia. Do you remember that Test series? Do you remember how impossible it seemed to get Younis out? Do you remember that Ahmed Shehzad batted like a true shehzada? Do you remember when Misbah went from ‘Tuk Tuk’ to ‘Boom Boom?’ Have you forgotten that glory already, after just two matches?ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: SCHEDULE & MATCH DETAILS
Some people have even called Afridi too old to contribute. Too old? AFRIDI? The man will still be young a decade from now! To those who feel he is getting on in years: Afridi is just about 35. You know who else is 35? The severely-out-of-form man who scored 215 runs mere hours ago.
One thing you and us Indians have in common (well, there are a lot of things in common, we are basically the same) is a shared love for cricket and a shared hatred of losing. For some reason, we tend to get a bit bloodthirsty when our teams lose, and redirect our dismay at the same cricketers who won us past glory. Just ask Yuvraj Singh or Mohammad Kaif. ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: Complete Coverage
But these are the same men who put their bodies on the line, carry the pressure of expectations of a nation, and remain professional even in the face of the strain of international cricket. They probably deserve less contempt and more accolades.
So keep calm, and have faith. The match is not over till the last ball is bowled. In this case, the tournament is not over till the last game is played.
Yours sincerely,
An Indian cricket fan (Not just a fan of Indian cricket)
(Shiamak Unwalla, a reporter with CricketCountry, is a self-confessed Sci-Fi geek and Cricket fanatic. You can follow him on Twitter @ShiamakUnwalla)
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