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Pakpassion considers why, despite all the inconsistency and off-field trouble. Pakistani cricket has developed such a diverse fan base all over the world.

By Shayan Siddiqui (July 2nd 2012)

In April 1990 the Conservative Politician Norman Tebbit, in an interview with the Los Angeles Times, stated: "A large proportion of Britain's Asian population fail to pass the cricket test. Which side do they cheer for? It's an interesting test. Are you still harking back to where you came from or where you are?" Tebbit’s argument was that most immigrants from the subcontinent continued to support India or Pakistan when it came to cricket, rather than their adopted country. Britain is a multi-cultural society and, as a result, Tebbit's comments weren't taken too seriously, as it was well understood that people are proud of their roots, and a certain attachment will always remain.

Moving on 20 years however and we see that the support for the Pakistan cricket team amongst British Pakistani youths still remains as strong as ever. Who can forget the image of Shahid Afridi stood with his arms aloft after every wicket he took in the World T20 in 2009, the deafening roar of the crowd behind him. His performances in the tournament occurred in front of supporters that had most probably been born in and lived in the UK their entire lives. Judging by the pictures and sounds from the tournament though, who would think that was London and not Lahore? Of course it isn’t just British Pakistanis; fans of this cricket team exist all over the world.

So what is it about the Pakistan cricket team that makes these fans have no second thoughts when it comes to choosing which team to support? It cannot be considered “glory supporting”, as Pakistan have of course become famous for their unpredictability. If anything, a glory supporter would need to look no further than England, currently world no.1 in tests, T20 Champions, and creeping up the ODI table. Although Pakistan has produced some great results recently, another free-fall never feels too far away. However I doubt England will have many supporters of Pakistani origin when the two sides next meet. 

Pakistan is not only unpredictable and volatile on the field, but its non-cricketing antics have brought a plethora of unwanted publicity. From Akhtar and Asif’s drug bans and dressing room bat wielding, to Afridi’s own version of a pitch invasion and ball tampering, and finally the News of the World sting operation, Pakistan cricket has spent a lot of time in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. The spot-fixing in particular, was a step too far for some, and they have washed their hands of Pakistan cricket for a while. But why do the majority of fans keep coming back?

Is it the “drama” factor? There’s no doubt that following Pakistani cricket over the last 6-7 years cannot have been much less entertaining than Eastenders, Coronation Street, or even Humsafar. England’s Ashes heroes were brought back down to earth with a resounding thud in 2005, thanks to Inzamam’s united side. In 2007, Pakistan suffered their second consecutive first round exit from the World Cup, losing to the West Indies and Ireland, before Bob Woolmer’s tragic death. A team that was unable to play cricket at home, whose players had been barred from the IPL, incredibly went on to win the T20 World Cup in 2009. If that wasn’t enough, the spot fixing scandal which should have caused irreparable damage to the side, led to them reaching the semi-finals of the World Cup and whitewashing the world’s no.1 test side just 15 months later. The most creative writers in the universe couldn’t dream up some of the headlines created by the Pakistan cricket team.

Let's also not forget the impact of certain Pakistani players. Both Afridi and Shoaib Akhtar have had the ability to pack stadiums on their own. Fans all over the world have been glued to their TV sets whenever either of these two players has taken to the field. More recently, the tainted duo of Asif and Amir had gained a loyal fan following prior to that fateful August evening due to their phenomenal skill levels. The individual brilliance of certain players can entertain fans more than any other team, but can that really explain the way non-resident Pakistanis follow the team with such passion?

Perhaps it boils down to just one simple thing, and that is the possibility of one of those “moments”. How we long to see another quick fire century from Afridi, another ridiculous match winning onslaught from Abdul Razzaq, another spell of 5 wickets for 6 runs from Umar Gul, another spectacular 4th innings collapse from the opposition when chasing a small total, or even just a 95mph+ delivery from someone. There is no doubt that when Pakistani cricketers get it right, they leave the rest of the world behind.

 

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