Adil Najam
How do I feel today with Pakistan having lost to India in the Semi-Final of the 2011 Cricket World Cup?
I feel exactly as I did on November 4, 1987. I was at the Ghaddafi Stadium in Lahore, as a sports reporter for the newspaper The Muslim, covering the Semi-Final match between Pakistan and Australia in the 1987 World Cup. Pakistan was the clear favorites. Pakistan lost.
How did that feel? Pretty much as today feels. It felt like this:
But as a reader wrote on my earlier post, I am sad, but not angry. Nor am I ashamed or dejected. In an odd sort of way, I am fulfilled. We tried our best.
Today was not our best day; but frankly it was not our worst day either. There have been many days in recent weeks and months when I was ashamed of what was being done in my name. Today was not one of those days. Today, I took many blows, but I stand tall. Today, I wait for tomorrow. Because, tomorrow is another day.
Congratulations, Team India on a well-earned victory.
Thank you, Team Pakistan, for a month full of thrills and chills and making us come together as a country again. Your fielding was rather pathetic, but you have made us proud nonetheless!
Well played team India…!!! You proved to be a better team during the match.
And for all Pakistani fans not all is lost. I think we should appreciate the way team has played in this world cup and I myself could only envision them reaching quarter finals, I think they did better than what most of us thought.
Good luck Afridi and Pakistan cricket team.
Tendulkar used up a lot of deliveries for his runs. Even if he had not been dropped, someone else would have played slowly and scored those runs.
Dhoni had misread the wicket and was playing an extra fast bowler, instead of a spinner. Besides, the Indian bowling attack is weak anyway. If you can’t chase 260 against an Indian bowling attack on an easy batting wicket, you don’t deserve to win the World Cup.
p.s. Kamran Akmal bashing is unnecessary. Show me one keeper who has taken a thick edge standing up to the stumps.
p.s. Tendulkar was dropped thrice, not five times.
Kudo to Indian, deserved to Win.
despite Gul being slaughtered and 6 dropped catches, 261 was a very gettable score.
now to our veteran batsment, younis and misbah, who had previously done well to sabotage the chase against australia, made sure we didnt win today, and saw us to the last over.
a brain fade by hafeez, wrong shot selection by asad, or falling to a good ball by bhajji, they want down fighting.
the sulking ex, wanna be, couldvbeen captains….made sure we didnt win, at least not under Afridi.
i agree we played well, salam to the young players, but these 2, axed forever pls, take Kamran Akmal with you and groom the U19 keeper here. If Umar Akmal doestn want to play because bhayya is gone so be it. there is still ahmed shahzad and other young guys.
haif sad haiaf..
Yeah,well done team India…and salute to Afridi and Co.
Being an Indian,i must say that match was played in well spirit and even the hardliners were at loss.The important thing from here on that we need to keep this very spirit of Cricket intact and move froward and so on.We both countries can definitely bring thousands cheers to millons of our aawam who are leaving in poverty and roughness,as Gilani pointed out.
Jia Hind,Jai Pakistan!
Well Said!!
India did not win but pakistan lost the match for 2 reasons
– 6 dropped catches
– Misbah playing a test mach
They all played well through the tournament but lost their nerve at the critical time.
Nevertheless well done for getting this far, and well done India for a win
Sajid