EDITORIAL (June 23 2009): Cricket is a game of golden uncertainties. We had won the semi-final against power-packed South Africa; a great victory it was, but the Sri Lanka had some giants amongst them. Think of Jayasuriya, Muralitharan, Dilshan, Malinga and you were asking the lamb to take on the wolf. Rightly then "we were the underdogs, and had less pressure".
But Younus Khan wanted this cup; not only for himself but also for the people of Pakistan. For too long nothing had happened to cheer them up. If the one-man rule had wounded the soul of the nation the popular rule that followed was no less punishing. Full-fledged war in the north-west, hundreds of thousands of IDPs, suicide-bombings, drone-attacks, barricades and check posts everywhere - that is what defines our times. "In such hard times, back home we needed a win like this.
It is our gift to the nation," Younus Khan told reporters. Of course it was teamwork but what stands out were Shahid Afridi's sparkling hits. This Twenty20 Cup victory has lifted the nation's spirits. Not surprisingly, Afridi had yet to complete his last run between the wickets that people poured out onto the streets, singing and dancing. Greatly enthralled by the historic win they were seen shooting in the air. They toasted sweets and lit up the night sky with fireworks. A victory had come to the victory-starved nation after some 17 years; it was in 1992 that Pakistan won the World Cup when Imran Khan captained the team.
And yet another twist of fate: this was a win over the Sri Lankans who were here in March but could not play. They were waylaid by a bunch of terrorists as they were travelling to the Qadhafi Stadium. It was a bloody encounter that cost lives of six policemen and a driver. The Sri Lankan players escaped any serious injury, but the incident led to consign Pakistani cricket to international quarantine. At Lord's it was indeed a gruelling duel but they had the love and respect for each other bubbling deep in their hearts.
A huge sun-drenched crowd, amiable environs, and a protest-free match; everything was there that defines the gentlemen's game called cricket. But surely it was the players' victory. The cricket management in Pakistan over the years, particularly during the Musharraf era, has been a nasty affair to say the least. Then it has been badly hit by scandals of all kinds, including match fixing and drug-peddling. But what really broke the camel's back is the security risk perceived to be abounding in the wake of Pakistan's alliance in the international war on terror.
For quite some time after the birth of Pakistan our country was largely an unrecognised entity in the outside world. But it was cricket that brought us identification and recognition. Fazal Mahmud's 'Oval' was perhaps the first time that brought Pakistan on the world map. Then came big names like Hanif Muhammad, Zaheer Abbas, Javed Miandad, Imran Khan, Wasim Akram and Waqar Yunus. Almost simultaneously, Pakistani squash players came on the scene and scored unprecedented victories. The Olympic Gold Medal in Rome by the Pakistani hockey team was no less stunning.
Those were the days when sports were king. Pakistan's sportsmen have written a brilliant chapter of the country's history with their hands and feet. But then came a long spell when sports received a step-motherly treatment due to a lack of required state patronage. Moreover, the functioning of top sports bodies in particular was burdened with the over-lordship of cronies during this long spell of drought. Now that we know how the victory at Lord's has lifted the nation's morale and brightened many a face across the otherwise fractured national landscape, there is the need to build on this by encouraging and patronising the sports.
Not only in cricket, hockey and squash Pakistan has the required talent to excel in other sports like football, volleyball and tennis. And as we focus on this, the contribution that the other 50 percent of population, women, can make to national sports and athletics should receive equal attention. They too have the desired talent and potential to shine in the world of sports. To bring joy and happiness to a tension-ridden Pakistani nation, sports is the most cost-effective. Let the government reconsider its priorities.
