Mini-World Cup

We watched the first international cricket match after six years on home ground. Friday’s clash between Pakistan and Zimbabwe at the Gaddafi Stadium Lahore could rightly be billed as a mini-World Cup match — not because any of the two teams managed to climb the scale table but because the crowd’s jubilation touched the barometer mark that is reserved for measuring peoples’ enthusiasm for a World Cup finale.
The match gave us some unbelievable shots, scintillating bowling and spectacular catches but there was one other thing that made this match stand out: the crowd. Many of the spectators had bought tickets in advance. From the time the first delivery was bowled to the winning shot, it was all about the cricket. What was most impressive was the passion people have for the game and for Team Pakistan.
Muhammad Abdul Moeed
Karachi