Wednesday, February 28, 2007
1996 World Cup
NOTHING OFFICIAL ABOUT IT
This time the World Cup came home. The final was to be held in my city, and what a cool stadium the guys had come up with (though to be honest anything would have been an improvement from its previous shape which I had confused with a jail cell as a kid numerous times. Don't ask.).
The round robins, or whatever they are called, were rather boring, and the usual useless teams were disposed off. I remember going to see Pak vs Holland at Gaddafi and enjoying Waqar making mince-meat out of the poor souls. Pakistan, naturally, qualified for the quarters, and we heard we're going to Bangalore to play India. Ooh, fun!
Obviously, the excitement was unparalleled. But Wasim bhai decided to back out at the last minute due to the 'injury' (yea, try convincing the guy who stoned your house :p). Oh well, the match began, and well enough, as Ata-ur-Rehman, of all unlikely fucktards, removed Tendulkar. In fact everything went pretty smoothly till Jadeja decided to go berserk on Waqar, and all the good work was ruined in 2 evil overs. And then we batted, and oh what a start. Saeed bhai and Aamir bondi at their sublime bests. And then, oh, what comedy. What sheer, utter comedy. As any self-respecting Pakistani cricket fan would like to forget, Aamir was made to look like a complete baffoon by Prasad, and the only fetching he did was of his bails rather than the ball from the fence. After that of course, it all went downhill, and we crashed out. Half the people blame Wasim bhai, the others blame Aamir. I blame Miandad for making a mockery of his career by still insisting on playing.
Of course, every Pakistani fell in love with a random island nation called Sri Lanka when it ended up beating India in the semi-final. Divine vengeance or something, we reckoned. And Indian fans burning their stadium in disgust, to boot. Yes, yes, we were having a field day here.
And then we welcomed the Sri Lankans to our home town for the final. Naturally, being India-beaters and challengers to the perennially-constipated-and-stuck-up Australians, they got our full support. I still can't believe I ended up going to the final. Being a social outcast, I never get passes to the cool events. (I guess it helps having resourceful uncles.) Oh, how magnificent the stadium looked, and how passionate the crowd was. It was a dream for me. Notwithstanding the fact that I had horrible seats and couldn't see half the pitch.
De Silva batted on and on, and we cheered. The crowd star ted commenting on how the Aussies are overloading on chewing-gums due to the tension. And when it was all over, everyone was happy that the underdog had slayed the constipated giant.
This time the World Cup came home. The final was to be held in my city, and what a cool stadium the guys had come up with (though to be honest anything would have been an improvement from its previous shape which I had confused with a jail cell as a kid numerous times. Don't ask.).
The round robins, or whatever they are called, were rather boring, and the usual useless teams were disposed off. I remember going to see Pak vs Holland at Gaddafi and enjoying Waqar making mince-meat out of the poor souls. Pakistan, naturally, qualified for the quarters, and we heard we're going to Bangalore to play India. Ooh, fun!
Obviously, the excitement was unparalleled. But Wasim bhai decided to back out at the last minute due to the 'injury' (yea, try convincing the guy who stoned your house :p). Oh well, the match began, and well enough, as Ata-ur-Rehman, of all unlikely fucktards, removed Tendulkar. In fact everything went pretty smoothly till Jadeja decided to go berserk on Waqar, and all the good work was ruined in 2 evil overs. And then we batted, and oh what a start. Saeed bhai and Aamir bondi at their sublime bests. And then, oh, what comedy. What sheer, utter comedy. As any self-respecting Pakistani cricket fan would like to forget, Aamir was made to look like a complete baffoon by Prasad, and the only fetching he did was of his bails rather than the ball from the fence. After that of course, it all went downhill, and we crashed out. Half the people blame Wasim bhai, the others blame Aamir. I blame Miandad for making a mockery of his career by still insisting on playing.
Of course, every Pakistani fell in love with a random island nation called Sri Lanka when it ended up beating India in the semi-final. Divine vengeance or something, we reckoned. And Indian fans burning their stadium in disgust, to boot. Yes, yes, we were having a field day here.
And then we welcomed the Sri Lankans to our home town for the final. Naturally, being India-beaters and challengers to the perennially-constipated-and-stuck-up Australians, they got our full support. I still can't believe I ended up going to the final. Being a social outcast, I never get passes to the cool events. (I guess it helps having resourceful uncles.) Oh, how magnificent the stadium looked, and how passionate the crowd was. It was a dream for me. Notwithstanding the fact that I had horrible seats and couldn't see half the pitch.
De Silva batted on and on, and we cheered. The crowd star ted commenting on how the Aussies are overloading on chewing-gums due to the tension. And when it was all over, everyone was happy that the underdog had slayed the constipated giant.
// posted by Sohaib @ Wednesday, February 28, 2007 
Comments:
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Yea, you have ALL signs of being socially outcast, no doubt about it :P.
Oh yea, I really loved Gaddafi stadium. I feel its much better than our Indian ones. Though I ended up getting a seat in a wrong enclosure where ALL the people around me were Pakistani supporters, but then, 'beggars are not choosers'. We got a 'free' ticket ;). Also, when I look back now, I feel that I was really fortunate to get a seat there coz it was more fun than I would have had being in the enclosure with Indian supporters...:).
I bet, neither of our countries are getting the 'World cup' back home. What say?
And ya, where is the second part of 'Raast-goi'?
Oh yea, I really loved Gaddafi stadium. I feel its much better than our Indian ones. Though I ended up getting a seat in a wrong enclosure where ALL the people around me were Pakistani supporters, but then, 'beggars are not choosers'. We got a 'free' ticket ;). Also, when I look back now, I feel that I was really fortunate to get a seat there coz it was more fun than I would have had being in the enclosure with Indian supporters...:).
I bet, neither of our countries are getting the 'World cup' back home. What say?
And ya, where is the second part of 'Raast-goi'?
Actually, I have already made a bet with a friend and have backed India to win the Cup. If they do, I will probably be the only happy Pakistani that day, and will enjoy my hard-earned 150 rupees. :D
And part 2 will come when I remember what happened in the last two years. :p
And part 2 will come when I remember what happened in the last two years. :p
Well, I fell in love with cricket in 1986,it was the final and the venue was Sharjah ... what more can I say. The last ball six. Everyone around me was praying as if their life depended upon it. I hit my head somewhere and didn't even realise that it was bleeding, so intense was the game. Gosh even after more than twenty years, one still misses a heartbeat when one thinks about it!!! Those. were. the. days. i.e. until 1992 world cup victory. After that it just was not the same again...
# posted by 
: Tuesday, March 06, 2007
: Tuesday, March 06, 2007
oops, sorry. forgot you were aussie. but yes, that's what a lot people here think here of your cricket team. arrogant, stuck-up and all. :)
tch. tumharay jaisay bicharoon ki waja say mein ameer ho jaoon ga is wc. didn't you get inzi/woolmy's brilliant istrategy? odds itnay skewed kar diyay hain kay abb lamba haath maarnay ka scope hai. mein tou kehta hoon dou paityaan laga do abhi bhi pk par...
umm...one more article needed to complete the trio. skip everything between what just happened and 96
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# posted by : Thursday, March 22, 2007
: Thursday, March 22, 2007 << Home
