Cricket Brings Smile to Pakistani Faces

"We have desperately been waiting for a good news as we nowadays hear only about bombings and suicide attacks," Abbassi said. (IOL photo)

"This is unbelievable," Naeem Abbassi, a Karachi-based computer technician, told IslamOnline.net on Saturday, June 20.

"I was expecting Pakistani team to reach in Super Eight phase of the world cup, but they have reached in the final."

Pakistan booked a place in the final after upstaging South Africa by seven runs in a gripping semi-final at Trent Bridge in Britain late Thursday.

The win sent thousands of jubilant cricket lovers into the streets, distributing sweets and dancing on drum beating.

"We have desperately been waiting for a good news as we nowadays hear only about bombings and suicide attacks," a jubilant Abbassi, who has hosted a dinner for his friends to celebrate Pakistan's victory, said.

A wave of Taliban-linked violence has killed about 1,995 people in Pakistan in the past two years, and the unrest has battered the country's reputation as an international cricket venue.

In March, gunmen attacked a visiting Sri Lankan cricket team as they travelled to a match in the eastern city of Lahore.

The attack forced the International Cricket Council to strip Pakistan of their share of World Cup 2011 matches.

The Pakistani team will on Sunday face unbeaten Sri Lanka in the World Twenty20 final after their Asian rivals thrashed the West Indies by 57 runs on Friday.

"I don't bother a lot whether Pakistan win the final or not," Abbassi said.

"If they win, it will double the jubilations, but even if they lose, they will remain be our heroes as they have brought smile on our faces after a long time."

Though Hockey is Pakistan's national sport, cricket is the most famous game in the country.

Pakistan was been crowned the world champions of cricket in 1992 and reached the final twice.

Lesson

"The wonderful performance of the cricket team gives us a lesson. And the lesson is that not to lose courage and hope," Ali said. (IOL photo)

"People are enjoying the victory of Pakistan here too," Abdullah, a resident of Mingora, the capital of Swat, told IOL.

Abdullah, who is residing in Shaikh Shahazad camp, 40 km off Peshawar, said the victory has sent waves of jubilations in the refugee camps.

"We wanted to eat and distribute sweets to celebrate this long-awaited victory, but unfortunately we are not in a position to do that," he said.

"But we danced for hours and enjoyed the team's fabulous performance after a long time."

Nearly 3.9 million people have been displaced over the ongoing fighting between Pakistan security forces and Taliban militants in the northwestern Swat valley.

Abdullah said the cricket team's performance has solaced the miseries of the displaced Swatis.

"Nobody knows the importance of even a slight happiness in life," he said.

"We have been away from our homes in these dingy and small tents for weeks, we haven't heard any good news during this period except bullets, bombings and shelling.

"At least, they (cricket team) have brought smile on our faces after a long time," an emotional Abdullah said.

Cricketer Younas Khan vows that Pakistani team will snatch the cup on Sunday to delight the violence-stricken country.

"We will go all out to win the final in order to give happiness to our people, who have been haunted by the terrorism," a determined Khan said.

"All the players know the importance of this world cup, that is why they all are committed to bringing joy to the nation."

Many Pakistanis see the cricket victory as a glimmer of hope for the south Asian Muslim country.

"The wonderful performance of the cricket team gives us a lesson. And the lesson is that not to lose courage and hope," Danish Ali, a local photographer, told IOL.

"As our team has managed to steer out of crisis, we too will get rid of these hardships soon.

"But we can do this only through unity, hard work and discipline, which are essential ingredients to win every game, even the game of life."