R.I.P Pakistan Cricket
I looked around the room to see my grandfather, my father, my entire family leapt with joy. Grandfather had tears in his eyes. He was crying, only they weren’t tears of sorrow. Those were tears of joy, as beads of sparkling white tears trickled down his milky white beard. I saw my father, and my elder brother ecstatic, my cousin’s dancing around the room. My mother and the ladies of my house equally pleased, looking on at the screen with Javed Miandad bowing on the ground kissing it. Imran Khan looked daunting, pleased, a content man. With his team of young players, awestruck by the formidable captain and mesmerized at what they had achieved.
Pakistan had won the cricket World Cup for the first time in history. Pakistan was the World Champion of cricket. I still lucidly remember the 139 run 3rd wicket partnership between Imran Khan and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Javed-Miandad-c66580, rivals off the field but teammates on the field. Pakistan came back from being the underdogs in the tournament to being the world champions.
And so started the era of Wasim and Waqar, it marked the beginning of a career for the gentle giant from http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Multan-c819, Inzamam ul Haq. It was the time of the spin wizard Mushtaq Ahmed, and the great opening batman Amir Sohail. Pakistan cricket was like a dream come true. My brother and I used to play cricket in a ground besides our apartments, with the other kids from the area. It was very competitive environment to play in with the children getting hurt and bruised - yet playing the finest cricket. The kids called us Basit Ali, my brother being Basit and I being Ali. Basit Ali was also a fine batsman for in Pakistan’s cricket team who held the record for the second fastest test century in the Sharjah Cup in November 1993.
We saw the reign of the spin legend http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Azhar-Mahmood-c1116, Abdul Razzaq, and Shoaib Akhtar making their way to the side along with the world class Mohammad Yousuf.
Since the 1992 World Cup, a part from a few wins a year, Pakistan cricket was constantly declining, with the team becoming more and more unpredictable. In 1999, Pakistan put an absolutely inspiring display of performance to reach the finals of the World Cup only for the team to be routed for a meagre 132 all out, despite an otherwise exceptional performance throughout the World Cup, which led to http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 reaching the target in 20 odd overs.
This was perhaps one of those few times, where I felt strong emotions of anger and frustration, at how the Pakistan team never even gave a fight in the final. As if they were destined to lose. The World Cup in 1999 was followed by a controversy and the team was alleged for match-fixing; claims that were never substantiated.
The year 1999 marked the downward spiral for Pakistan cricket, where Justice Qayyum’s inquiry report in 2000 on match fixing implicated http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Wasim-Akram-c96292 retired from international cricket, along with the retirement of veteran opener Saeed Anwar. Soon afterwards, Waqar Younis announced his retirement from international cricket as well.
In 2007, Pakistan lost to minnows http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ijaz-Butt-c64128 became the chairman of PCB.
Under his tenure, the Sri Lankan cricket team was attacked and narrowly escaped death in a crossroad in Lahore. One could not have thought that things could get worse for http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 cricket when two days ago, I heard about the spot-fixing allegations by Pakistani players with damning evidence to support the claim.
I picked up my cricketing gear and threw it in the garbage can. My patience has been pushed to the brink. This is it.
2 days ago, in the face of reports of match-fixing by Pakistani players, mostly so by the most promising star of Pakistan cricket in the shape of Mohammad Amir, I could not hold back my tears.
Pakistan cricket died on 29th August 2010, the body will be buried at Lords. Most sadly though, little did I know that my cricket hero, Mohammad Amir would be one of those to stab it in the back and murder it. R.I.P Pakistan Cricket.
(This article is an account of a Pakistani Cricket fan)
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