Wanted, an Encore!
Life and sport carry many parallels; not least of which are the trials and tribulations faced by its protagonists, necessitating knowledge, courage, adaptability, and hard work as prerequisites for glory, and culminating in the joys and sorrows that follow each success or failure. Every once in a while however, these parallels are magnified to represent something far greater than individual triumph, in fact encapsulating a microcosm of society, of peoples, and indeed of nations. It was only befitting then that the final of the Twenty20 World Cup, a tournament and format that has captured the hearts and minds of four generations of ideology, become the latest example of this age old adage, with Pakistan and Sri Lanka its protagonists, and the home of cricket, the Lords Cricket Ground, its theatre of dreams.
How apt it was that Pakistan’s opposition on this monumental day be Sri Lanka, the country that defied reason and advice to tour Pakistan when no one else would, a decision that will undoubtedly be underlined by history with “we told you so!” However, where others may choose to ignore, history will also show that decisions entrenched in principles, morals, and universal brotherhood carry a message far greater than any argument for logic or rationality, one of selflessness and accord to combat a terror that has no home, faith, or nationalistic loyalty, but plenty of innocent targets.
Thus with history as the backdrop, the expectations of Pakistani and Sri Lankan men, women, and children took centre stage, separated only by allegiance to a flag and not by the blood, sweat, and tears brought on by decades of internal political and military strife. Not to be outdone by their personal disappointment, they were flanked admirably by a significant number of spectators whose allegiance was spread across Pakistan’s unpredictability, Sri Lanka’s efficiency, cricket itself, and its Boom Boom POW, Shahid Afridi. From the onset however, it was clear that given the recent chaos that has enveloped Pakistan, its cricket, and its citizens, there was considerably more at stake for this company. Yet, armed with hope, desire, and a renewed self-confidence, it seemed ready for its date with destiny, a quiet resolute to win at least some respite from today, if not a vision for a better tomorrow.
The journey to this final act could not have been more divergent for the two principal actors. Sri Lanka’s unbeaten record thus far demonstrated its proficiency and ruthlessness, contrasted by Pakistan’s miserable showing up to the semi finals, against any value opposition bar New Zealand. Pakistan drew the envy of none and the chuckles of plenty when faced with the might of South Africa in what would become the penultimate act to a fairy tale written in the stars. Thus, 11 men took the field that day representing Pakistan’s colours, carrying with them both purpose on their sleeve and a chip on their shoulder, determined to stem the tide and inspire belief into even their most ardent of critics.
But inspiration rarely comes to those lacking positive intent and the faculty to profit from hindsight. On this day though Pakistan possessed both, repeating none of the mistakes of its previous outings; urgency was shown at the top of the order with Kamran Akmal wooing his supporters back to fore, Afridi’s blind wafts across the line were replaced with the perfect blend of discipline and aggression reminding everyone of “what could have been”, the middle order was stable if not overwhelming, and a decent total against the most well rounded bowling attack in the tournament a just reward. The baton was thus passed to Pakistan’s bowling attack, its one source of relative strength thus far in the tournament, to finish a job not quite half done. It answered the call with aplomb worthy of champions, and in the process a 17-year-old upstart ordained by the great one himself, upstaged a 19-year-old South African, intended for greatness from age 15. Afridi’s variety and penetration, Ajmal’s guile, Razzaq’s balance, Gull’s precision coated bullets, and the captain’s lax replaced with a scowl supplemented the headlines, with the exclamation point being placed on team performance rather than individual brilliance, taking Pakistan’s unchartered route on collision course with the ghosts of 2007 to finally lay them to rest.
For Pakistani fans especially, the final act itself remains a blur amidst the ensuing euphoria, but what sticks to memory is Pakistan’s dominance from start to finish. They mesmerised not with attitude, aptitude, or ability, but with harmony of mind, body, and spirit, which on its day, even the skill, grace, and unanimity of Sri Lanka could not conquer. This was more than a victory, it was a message to a beleaguered nation that united, we the Pashtuns, Baloch, Punjabi, and Sindhi, can scale any summit, no matter how unlikely the goal, no matter how insurmountable the odds, and no matter how strong the opposition. It was a message that if we are to persevere in the face of mounting adversity, we need to confront our own failings, faults, and demons head on. It was a message that the will of the collective is stronger than the incompetence and greed of a few. It was a message that the ability to change the course of our own destinies lies within reach.
The parallel lines between life and sport were thus erased by the strength in character of a few, replaced with a roadmap for how success might be achieved. It is up to all of us individually and collectively to preserve and prolong this otherwise fleeting moment, and transform it into something far greater. Pakistan is at a cross roads in its history; our enemies might well make up the main characters of conspiracy theories, but none are more dangerous than the complacency and misplaced vanity that rests within all of us. If we are to take inspiration from the unity and purpose shown by this band of men, we must admit to ourselves first that Pakistan’s fall from grace did not come about at the hands of foreign forces of Machiavellian intent, but rather through self inflicted wounds laying bare a lack of resolve to follow the principles prescribed by our founder. Only strength in unity will turn back the enemies at the gate, not the words that appear here, nor the proclamations of wrong that are beginning to sound more and more like the boy who cried wolf, nor the hollow appeals to the Almighty to deliver us from a plight entirely of our own making.
The dream of a strong and prosperous Pakistan was one of unity, faith, and discipline. It was clear on this cool sunny afternoon at the Lords Cricket Ground, that amidst an erupting sea of green all over the world, the dream was alive and well.
