Published: May 20, 2015, 09:00 AM (IST)
Edited: May 19, 2015, 10:39 PM (IST)
May 22 will be an emotional moment for Pakistan, for international cricket will be back in the country after six years. Abhishek Mukherjee interviews Shayan Khan and Farhat Rabia, two Pakistan fans, on their feelings about Pakistan cricket, India-Pakistan contests and the upcoming series against Zimbabwe.
The Zimbabweans have arrived. Schedules have been laid. Tickets have been sold. There has been little support from International Cricket Council (ICC), but The Boys in Green are set to play their first international match on home soil since 2009. This also meant that the right to co-host matches in ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 was taken away from them. READ: Mohammad Sami, Shoaib Malik recalled in Pakistan T20 squad against Zimbabwe
It has been a very, very long wait, but cricket will finally be back in Pakistan after years of turmoil. What do the fans think about it? Did they miss watching live cricket at the ground for six long years? What does this moment mean to them? CricketCountry caught up with Shayan Khan and Farhat Rabia, two fans of Pakistan cricket. READ: Zimbabwe arrive in Pakistan amidst high security
CricketCountry (CC): Pakistan has not hosted an international series at home for six years. What does this Zimbabwe tour mean to you, the average Pakistani fan?
Shayan Khan (SK): It means a lot to us, we are really happy that Zimbabwe is touring Pakistan which gives us a new hope that other teams will tour in the near future. We were sad and disheartened for years. Now we’re happy and full of joy.
Farhat Rabia (FR): It’s a window for more international cricket to come back to Pakistan. We have suffered tremendously, especially in terms of exposure to our local talent to international teams at home and financially as well. If all things go smoothly this will be the start of a new dawn for Pakistan cricket. Fingers crossed.
CC: It has been an agonising wait. Even the World Cup 2011 matches were taken away from Pakistan. What was it like, when matches in UAE (and even England) used to be classified as “home matches”?
SK: Seeing matches in Dubai doesn’t hurt us much, but getting to see matches in our homeland is something entirely different. Yes, we wanted to see matches in Pakistan during World Cup 2011 and it did hurt that no match held here. But now we’re looking forward. Let bygones be bygones.
FR: Actually after 2009 it was painful not to host and lose out on the fervour and World Cup teams playing in your home ground. READ: Ahsan Raza: 2009 attacks remain one of the worst nightmares of my life
CC: Do you blame the International Cricket Council (ICC) or the other countries for not travelling to Pakistan in the interim?
SK: Realistically speaking, an average Pakistani thinks that ICC is run by “Big Three”. As far as not travelling is concerned, I do believe that they might have their reservations but again they could have come and played. So partially, yes, we do; but as a whole, no.
FR: Not entirely. I feel Pakistan government needed to ensure security for all, and they failed. That being said, ICC does have a bias against Pakistan and in helping us resurrect international cricket in Pakistan. They can send their security teams to assess and update. It took Dav Whatmore to cajole them back here.
CC: Do you feel cricket in Pakistan has hampered significantly due to events outside the ground?
SK: A good player can play everywhere; we have examples of Hanif Mohammad, Asif Iqbal, Javed Miandad and Saeed Anwar. They were great outside from Pakistan and Asia. If you ask my point of view, I’d say no. It’s more like a challenge though.
FR: Yes.
CC: Despite their long careers men like Saeed Ajmal and Umar Akmal have not played a single Test on Pakistani soil. Do you feel they would have been more successful if they had more opportunities of playing at home? READ: Zimbabwe tour of Pakistan a ‘ray of hope’, feels Sarfraz Nawaz
SK: They might have, Ajmal came when he was over 30, which means he had already lost almost 10 years of his career. As far as Umar is concerned, he is very talented but lacks temperament. He should be promoted at No. 4 where can deliver more rather than coming at No. 6. He is an attacking batsman but not a match finisher.
FR: Absolutely! Look at Indian players like Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, etc who play on similar pitches. They grew confident playing on their home grounds and now there is no stopping them. They grew in confidence; confidence develops self-belief, and it reflects in your attitude towards your game too!
CC: While Pakistani commentators, coaches, and experts are allowed in Indian Premier League (IPL), Pakistani cricketers are not. Azhar Mahmood had to be an English citizen to be a part of IPL. Do you sense discrimination here on BCCI’s behalf?
SK: Yes, I do. I believe cricket or any other sport must be separated from politics. Cricket has nothing to do with it. The majority [in Pakistan] has stopped watching IPL because of that.
FR: Of course! Pakistani players are explosive on their given days! They merit a lot of fan following and people like Shahid Afridi, Misbah-ul-Haq, Saeed Ajmal, Umar Akmal, Junaid Khan, Wahab Riaz would be hard to beat! It’s a shame political biases have entered cricket!
CC: India and Pakistan play the second-most fiercely contested five-day contest. Unfortunately, they have not played a full series since 2007. Do you think a revival is round the corner?
SK: I would love to see more and more matches between India and Pakistan. India vs Pakistan is far bigger than The Ashes for me, and for most in India and Pakistan. More and more Test and One-Day International (ODI) series between the countries will revive the excitement. There should be something on the lines of a Miandad-Gavaskar Trophy or Imran-Kapil Trophy every year.
FR: Only if India wishes to do so. They do have a series coming up in December, but I’m not sure if it’s a 5-ODI series or something else.
CC: Do you think the “Cricket for Peace” motto is any good? Does cricket really help revive political relations?
SK: Yes, I do. In fact we have some examples in the past that cricket has been used for diplomatic purposes. Pakistan and India should play more matches. Nothing can beat it.
FR: It is only good if it is accepted with heart by all parties, especially by “Big Three”.
CC: How are the preparations? All set for the matches?
SK: I’d love to see matches during weekends. Everyone here is so happy. The answer is affirmative.
FR: All set! Tickets booked! Posters ready! We’re ready to cheer our team and Zimbabwe at Gaddafi Stadium!
(Abhishek Mukherjee is the Chief Editor and Cricket Historian at CricketCountry. He blogs here and can be followed on Twitter here.)
