Gentleman’s Spirit

A true sportsman is defined by his decorum and mannerism, his ability to hold the rules of conduct of the game as well as his respect for the opposition, no matter what the result. Cricket is referred to as a gentleman’s game. This has something to do with the fact that the real spirit of the game remains intact no matter how hard a defeat hits the losing side or how gratifying a win turns out to be for the winners. The recent face-off between arch-rivals Pakistan and India in their opening match in the ICC T20 World Cup in the UAE, was quite a refreshing breather for the two cricket crazy nations. A cricket match between the two countries is nothing less than a do-or-die contest as people do not mind even losing an entire tournament if they are able to beat their arch-rival at any stage of the event.

This time when Pakistan and India met on October 24, tensions were at a boiling point, even well before the high-voltage game took place. Fingers were crossed and fans on both sides of the border were praying, crying and hoping for a must-win. For India, it was yet another opportunity to continue their winning streak against Pakistan in the World Cup. Opening their T20 campaign against India with a win was much more crucial for Pakistan, since the country had never defeated India in any World Cup fixture, be it One-Day or T20 Internationals. However, emerging as the winning side this time, Pakistan were able to break the jinx after 29 years. They did not win the match ‘on the edge’ but with a very convincing margin of 10 wickets. They did not let the Indian team bowl all 20 overs and reached the 152 runs target with 13 balls still to go.

International cricket experts rightly refer to any Pakistan-India contest as a battle of the mind, of nerves and much more, but surprisingly, sanity prevailed all through the high-octane contest at the Dubai cricket ground this time. No wonder then that Indian fans, the Indian team and the Indian media accepted their defeat hands down and there were no excuses for them to lean on. After the win, the iconic moment came when the ‘Spirit of Cricket’ was visible in its full glory. Indian captain Virat Kohli willingly came forward to congratulate and shake hands with Pakistan skipper Babar Azam. Kohli also hugged Mohammad Rizwan in a spirit of true sportsmanship. By making such a gesture, Kohli showed what a ‘gentleman’s game’ cricket is. A few days later, the gentleman’s spirit was again at its height during and after the match played between Pakistan and New Zealand in Sharjah. In the post-match conference, New Zealand captain Kane Williamson admitted the fact that Pakistani players harboured no grudges and showed any sign of aggression towards Kiwi players, despite the fact that New Zealand had cancelled their tour and left Pakistan just hours before the first ODI at Rawalpindi for security threats. Pakistani cricket lovers, media and players must at all times display grace and generosity. This is a time for them to celebrate the memorable moments of victory but it must be done in a gentlemanly manner.

Syed Jawaid Iqbal
President & Editor in Chief