Cricket shines in Pakistan

The ongoing Cricket World Cup being played out in the Indian Subcontinent has had its share of interesting matches and story lines (for a primer on cricket rules and terms, look here). But none has been more gripping and fascinating than the very unlikely march of Pakistan, who just trounced the West Indies by a record margin, to become the first team to reach the semifinals. They have gotten to this stage in considerable style, having previously beaten the reigning world-champions, Australia, and one of the tournament favorites, Sri Lanka, in the group stages. Pakistan won their quarterfinal without losing a single player out of eleven in what commentators are describing as the most resounding drubbing ever delivered in the World Cup knockout stage.

And yet, as ominous as Pakistan’s progress in this World Cup has been, this is a team that emulates its country’s ability to generate controversy. In just the last four years alone, Pakistan has lost its best players to a match-fixing scandal last summer, faced an international ban on domestic games that started after the armed terrorist assault on the visiting Sri Lankan team in 2009, suffered the mysterious death of their coach during the previous World Cup in 2007, lost a budding player to death threats from a country-wide gambling mafia, suffered the ignominy during the recent Middle East crises of having their largest stadium named after a certain Libyan despot, and had their best players resort to constant infighting, faking injuries and getting caught for using opium, marijuana and anabolic steroids.  With a squad short on superstars, confidence and credibility, Pakistan’s cricket team entered this tournament as a freak show of sorts. And yet, as is historically true of the Pakistani cricket team, "the most interesting team in the history of sport" in the words of Guardian writer Rob Smyth, their raw talent has overcome all controversy and surpassed just about every opponent so far.

Pakistan’s date with destiny has set up what could be one of the most highly anticipated matches in recent history. If India beats Australia in their quarterfinal tomorrow, which they are favored to do, then these two archrivals will face each other in the semifinals to be played on Mar. 30 in Mohali, India. Pakistan last played on Indian soil in 2007; however, following the Mumbai terrorist attacks in 2008, India’s team cancelled their tour of Pakistan, and Pakistani players have been barred from participating in the lucrative Indian Premier League.

Even in the event that Australia defeats India and this potentially epic match does not take place, concerns about Pakistan’s semifinal appearance have already been raised. In previous tours, Hindu fundamentalists have dug up pitches where Pakistan was scheduled to play, and threatened to disrupt matches involving Pakistan in India before this tournament even began. Reflective of these concerns, in a press conference held immediately after Pakistan’s victory, the chief executive of the International Cricket Committee assured journalists that the venue would not be changed and confirmed Pakistan’s match in Mohali.

For a country where cricketers enjoy incredible celebrity status, the current Pakistani cricket team is devoid of many superstars. However, losing a few to match-fixing and a great one to age might well have been a blessing in disguise. Led by a man who embodies all of Pakistan in his boisterous, inconsistent, emotional, and occasionally self-destructive persona – Shahid Khan Afridi – adversity has brought this erratic band together in a way that reminds the nation of the last time this team won the World Cup in 1992.  While his brash and haughty celebrations have put off some of the old guard, like Australian Ian Chappel, Afridi brings a rare honesty to play that is devoid of the regimental professionalism of modern cricket.

Cricket is more than a trivial pursuit in Pakistan. It unites Pakistanis in a way that nothing else does. With a mix of players from all provinces, Punjabi, Pashto and Urdu, come together in a way they do at few other forums. With an identity split on religious, lingual, geographical, cultural, political and ideological lines, cricket is the only thing that truly brings out  a national identity in Pakistanis.

The story of the 11 players that will take to the coliseum in Mohali on March the 30^th mirrors that of the 180 million who await the next twist on their plate. In Pakistan, the absurd and tragic events appearing in the sports pages reflect a grotesque caricature of the problems Pakistan experiences every day. But this evening, by the millions, Pakistanis are hoping that the fortunes of Pakistan, the country, will follow the blossoming ‘taqdeer’, of Pakistan – the team.

Haider Warraich, MD, is a research fellow at Harvard Medical School. He is a graduate of the Aga Khan University in Karachi, Pakistan, and the author of the forthcoming novel, Auras of the Jinn.