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!
“Raise the praise, minimize the criticize”.
Cricket WC in the last few weeks has made us less unhappy if not happier.. I was there in 1987 and today I am not there but sure wish I was to be a part of one nation, one heart and one voice.. cricket we love you. Go Greens! Thank you from all of us!
I like what Dawn Blog said “My heart may bleed, but it still bleeds GREEN!”.. Lala, my captain, you do not need to apologise. You and the team did a great job and we are proud of you.”
Well Played Pakistan except Younis and Misbah. They both played mediocre inning. I just cannot shrug off the feeling that there was something fishy about them. They fielded poorly dropping catches and then “choked” the batting. Misbah will be retiring very soon and next will be Younis to retire. It was very big match to make great amount of money before getting retired.
@jayoti and Truth Seeker: Well said!!!
On a separate note Cricket WOrldcup is now no different from WWWF
Wahab Riaz deserved man of the match. Guess the God-fearing referees got scared by seeing how blatantly God is favoring Tendulkar’s luck, so they din’t want to displease God by not giving man of the match to Tendulkar :)