Who will win India vs Pakistan 2011 cricket world cup semi-final: tale of the fans.
last time india played pakistan in the world cup was in 2003, which i watched with room full of people, half from pk other half from india. Pakistan had the best bowling attack in the world with likes of Waqar Younis, Wasim Akram and Shoaib Akhtar. What no one was sure about was the Pakistani batting but when Pakistan posted 293 lead by Saeed Anwar, the Pakistani fans thought the game was in the bag but how wrong they were. Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag lived up to the expectations of more than billion people and smacked world’s best bowling attack in all corners of the ground.
Ask the Pakistani fans and the scars of that beating are still very visible and this rematch in the 2011 cricket world cup may be the redemption waited for; for 8 years or it may be another 8 years of hurt,
only time will tell.
Pakistan lost it with the best bowling attack which was much better than the one Pakistan has this time around but would lack of expectations be the turning point?
According to one Pakistani fan Adnan, “In my opinion it would have been better if we played with aus. as even if we lost, it wouldn’t have been emotional trauma and torture in the form of upcoming movies on that and media embarrassment. as its clear we will lose because young team hasn’t played in this kind of pressure match, pitch is in their control, they play spin better and we don’t have deep batting order. in the end they have home field advantage, they played full worldcup in India”
Another Pakistani fan Aziz thinks the opposite, “i think we have better chance than ever before because of the young team, the young guys do not have any fear and our spin attack is fairly good and allowed only on average 21 runs per wicket by any test playing nation in this world cup. beating Australia was the icing on the cake, India is playing at home and would be under tremendous pressure to win, Pakistan at the other hand is there while no one expected them to be. since we did not reach the semi-final in the last 8 years, and since no one given pk any chance of even making to the top 8, the pressure is on India while Pakistan win or lose has already done better than any other team in this world cup”
According to an Indian fan Ravi, “Afridi, akmal and razzaq have some of their best games against India in India and at this venue; i would say Pakistan is the underdog favourite who will put up a real fight, more so than Australia did against us. Our batting is unmatched by anyone but its our bowling that is the concern, while Australia did not handle the spin well,, Pakistan like India are very good players of the spin and are familiar with pitches in this part of the world. All in all I have already told my boss, I will be sick and won’t be coming to work next Wednesday”.
This is a match that will surely be the most viewed sporting event in the world, more so than the football world cup. ICC could not have asked for anything better for this event; India Vs Pakistan is a mini war that is played on the cricketing ground but is fought in living rooms. That is when friends are no longer friends, for those 600 deliveries, nationalism takes over people not just in India and Pakistan but around the world. Indian and Pakistani decedents born and brought up in the UK, some of whom have never been to India nor Pakistan stick to their TV screens playing every ball with their respective teams. win or lose it may well be the best calorie burner, it will be entertainment at its best.
According to Rahul from Mumbai, his friend’s children have it the best, “one parent is from Pakistan and the other from India, in a Pakistan Vs India match, these kids can never lose”
Mehar from Punjab says, “when people say Australia Vs England rivalry in Cricket is the best, obviously they are clued out, how many wars has Australia fought with England. India and Pakistan fought more than three wars openly while the politicians create opportunities to fight many more as and when it suites them best. While majority of the people from both sides cherish each other the governments make sure ties can never get better. I love Pakistani people, my best friend I grew up with 60 years ago on the same street moved to Pakistan after the partition – but India must win no ifs or buts”
Pakistan Vs India cricket match always brings the best and the worst out of people and when it’s in the semi-final where the losing team goes home the stakes are much bigger. One thing is clear not lots of people are going to be showing up to work on March 30, 2011.
Tags: 2011, Cricket, Cup, fans, India, Pakistan, semifinal, Tale, vs, win, World