The Cricket World Cup ran for 44 days. Pakistan’s campaign had ended nine days before the final. Cricket virtually engulfed the entire Pakistani nation. The local media remained obsessed throughout. Numerous World Cup TV programmes, mostly with little actual cricket in them went on air. Some of them were presented in a very ridiculous manner.
There was no less than a national mourning over the seventh ranked team’s exit in the quarter finals. The post mortem on the media lasted for a further few weeks. For any neutral observer, all seemed very odd. Admittedly, cricket is the most popular sport in this country by a country mile. But is cricket the only sport played in world’s sixth most populous country. Has this discipline brought glories no other sport has been able to do?
At least in two games, Pakistan’s achievements are still envied by the world.
In hockey, the record of winning four World Cups is still intact. Moreover, it is the only sport that has fetched country gold’s and silvers at the Olympics. Hockey’s Olympic tally for Pakistan stands at three gold, three silver and two bronze medals. All the other sports have given a combined total of two bronze. Such is the importance of hockey for Pakistan. Yet, when the unthinkable happened- Pakistan’s failure to qualify for the 2014 hockey World Cup- there was no national outcry. All died down in a few days after an odd demonstration, a few press conferences by former stalwarts and some discussions on TV channels. Regrettably, no heads were rolled. The shameless quartet of Akhtar Rasool, Rana Mujahid, Qasim Zia and Asif Bajwa still rules the roost; only roles have changed.
Pakistan’s success saga in squash is even more fascinating. Hashim Khan winning the British Open in 1951 meant the country had its first world champion in sports within four years of existence. The legacy he founded saw Pakistan dominating the sport of squash like no other nation. Hashim’s countrymen have won the British Open title a total of 30 times; no country has even come to half of that number. Jahangir Khan’s tally of 10 British Open wins is in no danger of being equaled in the foreseeable future. Pakistan’s rule at the World Open, the other prestigious squash title, is equally impressive. 14 wins; the next successful nation sits far behind with eight titles. Individually, again a Pakistani, Jansher Khan, leads the way with eight victories.
Now, it is a distant dream. Last time, Pakistan won the British Open was 1997, and the World Open, a year before. What to talk of having a world champion, for the last several years, no Pakistani has even figured among the top 20. In any other country, it would have amounted to a national catastrophe, but not here.
