New Delhi: Shahid Afridi's team lost by 29 runs loss to MS Dhoni's men in a high-voltage World Cup semi-final match at Mohali on Wednesday. But the loss has not generated an acerbic reaction in Pakistan. Pakistani media and the public have not come out screaming for the heads of the cricketers even after the loss to their arch-rivals which is a pleasant and welcome surprise in this part of cricket-crazy world.
'The News' website sums up what the country is feeling with their headline: Pakistan's World Cup dream shattered. On the other hand its print edition has the meeting between Pakistani Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh as the lead following by the semi-final match report.
In a country where cricket is the opium of the masses a political story getting precedence over the cricket clash, which many had billed as the match of the century, says a lot.
‘The Dawn’, founded by Mohammad Ali Jinnah, has also taken a very balanced view of the loss with its headline: Dropped catches, scratchy shots and Misbah's 'Test innings' blamed for defeat Cricket mania evaporates after anti-climax. Here, too, the meeting between Gilani and Singh is the lead story.
‘Pakistan Times’ has also followed the lead of ‘The News’ and The Dawn’ and stuck with the meeting between the prime ministers of the two countries.
However, 'The Nation' has the semi-final clash as the lead but with a very staid headline: Mohali battle lost.
Even the reaction of Pakistani fans on their team’s loss has been not been over the top. While the Pakistani fans, who came to Mohali to watch the semi-final, were disappointed on their team's loss but they were big-hearted about India's win.
"It's a part of the game and I like coming to India," said one Pakistani fan.
"I think cricket is the winner and we have come for the sake of peace between India and Pakistan. So cricket is the winner and congratulations to India," said another fan.
Such a balanced coverage by the media and reaction of fans after the loss to arch-rivals would have been unthinkable a decade back when any loss with seen with a suspicious eyes and the players were accused of throwing away the match if the team lost.
There used to be violent protests with effigies of players and coaches being burnt and threats issued against them.
The media too would play its part ion whipping up the passion and indulge in a bal-by-ball post match analysis to find out and nail the villain.
While there were frenzied celebrations in India after the Mohali win but the reaction in Pakistan shows that the average fan and the media has realised that cricket is just a sport and not a matter of life and death.
Comments
0 comment