What the 2011 Cricket World Cup is to me for Pakistan is exactly what the 1995 Rugby World Cup was to Nelson Mandela for South Africa. This is the only living hope and pride for Pakistani unity- the only event where I see Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Christian, Sindhi, Punjabi, Pathan, Balochi Kashmiri and others abroad flamboyantly rejoicing and enchanting Pakistan Zindabad. This will be our finest hour- this will be our moment of greatness: The Green Glory! It does take a lot of courage and determination to do what the Pakistan cricket team is striving to establish. Without forgetting the 
tireless efforts of Waqar Younis, the man who is leading the team from the front is obviously Shahid Afridi. Nature is truly an astonishing and complex phenomenon. Who could have expected that the highly criticised cricketer Afridi could turn the tables and unite all the boys under his unified command well supported by Younis. Afridi is leading the team from the front no doubt and is doing wonders. The level of engagement of Imran Khan in this world cup and this highly anticipated Indo-Pak semi-final says it all. Imran Khan, who is now a politician, perhaps also saw the green glory and is hence supporting more than ever before; the green shirts. He is perhaps having glimpses of his own times and knows very well what it means for Pakistan to win a world cup amid terrorism and extremism driven western paranoia about Pakistan.
AFRICA’S AFRIDI: Mandela saw after getting released from prison and holding office that even though his struggle for Apartheid has borne fruit, yet he knew that the tribal and racial differences in South Africa would not easily end. There was violence and fighting everywhere between the Blacks and the Whites. However, Mandela knew that there is only one thing that binds his nation truly and that is Rugby and hence he inspired the whole nation as well as the team to win the World Cup and bring all South Africans together under the flag. Every particle of the universe assisted him in this just cause and he was able to unite South Africans after enabling his team, through his inspiration of aspiring for greatness, to win the world cup- not for them but for the nation. That was his greatness and reward. After that cup the world saw a different South Africa.
Mandela met the team captain and inspired him by relating to him what he sees in the world cup and how he envisions the world cup trophy paving the way for a better and united South Africa. His vision was shared by the South African rugby team Springbok’s Captain Francois Pienaar, without whose understanding Mandela couldn’t have succeeded. The Captain had difficulty in making his boys understand the same however he did not give up hope and transpired into the team, with the help of Mandela himself, what had to be achieved. Mandela had seen and knew what wonders Rugby can do for the scattered and shattered South African nation. He did that in a way none other could have done by enabling the team to win the World Cup for the country. During the World Cup all the blacks and whites waved the flag together and embraced each other because Mandela had involved them, through the game of Rugby, to come closer to each other and understand and realise that the racial difference is only in their eyes and not in the eyes of nature. Once done, all the tribes and people of the nation united under their flag and hence the day the world cup was won- Apartheid was literally dismantled from within South Africa. The country and nation that we see today is exactly the miracle of the century and Mandela deserves a place, in my heart, high above all other 21st century leaders. In my opinion, nature wanted Mandela to succeed and that is why she helped Mandela win the world cup otherwise no matter how inspiring he might have been; if he was not a true man of cause, the world cup might never have been won. Therefore, winning the world cup for South Africa was a godsend. Mandela proved himself by ridding the African society of Apartheid that he had a soul unconquerable- that he had a soul dispossessed!
AN INCIDENCE OF CRICKET DIPLOMACY: Dr Manmohan Singh, the Indian premiere and to me a man of great regard and esteem, has invited PM Gilani because he clearly saw an incidence of cricket diplomacy in the semi-final. Dr Singh did not really invite Gilani to see the match but to talk on bilateral interests. Gilani announced today that there will be no talk on Kashmir and Kashmir is off agenda for this visit. This, I believe, is a good move given that the only point of contention between India and Pakistan is Kashmir and has the capabilities of derailing the bilateral talks process. Once the dialogue is successful, Kashmir could easily be discussed and sorted out. Besides, if the government is appeasing and bowing to the US interests in Pakistan already, our neighbours also deserve some room in it. This has come amid a time when dialogue between the two countries is underway. I do not have high hopes from this venture but then one can never understand how natures, as she moves in a mysterious way. I expect that the two countries can foster friendship and have relations like US and Canada for it is the only way forward. Dr Singh is believed to be a big Indo-Pak friendship promoter but has been under huge pressure of the Indian right-wing politicians. Let us see if this match; this diplomatic incidence; can melt the ice or not. This is another important dynamic that the game of cricket enshrines for the two countries.
GLORIFICATION AND UNIFICATION: Nonetheless, Pakistan does not seem to have a Mandela here but instead a Rehman Malik who warned the team recently to beware of match fixing as he has a close watchful eye on them and that they might even be under surveillance. I am not comparing the two for comparing Mandela to Malik would be worse than committing suicide for me. It is just a hint at how people perceive things and redefine greatness. Imran Khan’s statement by the way was an answer to his remarks when he said maybe it is Malik who should be watched and monitored. This leaves us to rely on the only leader of the day; Shahid Afridi who was once a criticised cricketer but is now a major source of pride for the nation. I have not been amazed at all to note that the Indo-Pak semi-final has the power to bring all Pakistanis together; something that no leader has been able to accomplish as yet. Now what does that mean? It simply means that the Pakistani nation is striving for GREATNESS and for GLORY. The political leadership has failed the test of winning the hearts and minds of its people in Pakistan and that is a fact. As a result of that the Pakistani nation is becoming faithless and hopeless and hence has become an easy prey to racial discrimination, social evils, moral degenrations and sectarian violence etc. Today the Pakistani nation exhibits the properties of a crowd and not that of a nation. During these times, when I see all the people of Pakistan irrespective of their cast, creed, colour, gender, age, regional identities and religion attempting to unite under the Pakistani flag- I clearly see that my nation strives for greatness, for glory and for unification. We do not have greatness in us today and that is something this world cup trophy can bring to Pakistan, as it did to the South Africans one and a half decade ago. However, it will depend on the fact that Pakistan should win the world cup and by winning the world cup I mean defeating India in the semi final because that will be our world cup. And if Afridi can bring the trophy back home again he will be able to inspire the nation towards greatness.
I was once
a cricket player myself and a great fan of Pakistani cricket, however, I gave up my interest when I could no longer hear on the radio “Over the wicket comes Wasim Akram from the Pavilian end, bowls to Sachin Tendulkar, he nicks it away to the keeper, he is out! He has been taken by an in-swinging surprise…” and it is only now at this time that I seem to be involved deeply into cricket once again like the good old days. It is only because of the fact that I long for greatness in my country and hence would like to see the homecoming of the Green Glory.
