ALKHOBAR: "Yes we can," roared Pakistani expatriates last night as they savored their country’s comprehensive victory over Sri Lanka in the World Twenty20 final at Lord’s. With happiness writ large on their faces, they streamed out of their homes and into the areas with a large concentration of Pakistani expatriates.
Jeddah’s Aziziah district, Riyadh’s Hayyul Wuzarat (Hara) and Alkhobar’s Pakistani School areas wore a festive look last night. People were seen exchanging greetings, distributing sweets, texting their friends, calling their folks back home, speaking loudly into their phone sets and generally making merry.
“Afridi, Afridi, Afridi,” they chanted in unison paying wholesome tribute to the Pakistani star who played a pivotal role in turning the fortunes of the country’s cricket team.
“Victory is always sweet, but this one is particularly sweeter because it came after a long drought of defeat and despair,” said Rubab Anila Faiz, an excited 18-year-old from Riyadh who watched the all-important match with her friends Anam Hanif and Pareeq Jamil.
“We were in prayers throughout yesterday. We wanted our team to win. To be honest, I didn’t think our team would win. Ever since losing so many finals in the past, I have learned to temper my expectations. This time, however, our cricketers have not disappointed us. God bless them,” said Amberine Asghar, a mother of three.
As she spoke to Arab News, she couldn’t hold back her tears. “This is an extremely emotional moment for us Pakistanis. These are tears of joy. We have not had any good news in a long time. We needed something to cheer about. We needed something to feel proud of. This will turn out to be the turning point in our history. Of course, it is just game but you cannot imagine the positive impact it will have on the psyche of the nation,” said Asghar, who is from Alkhobar.
Salma Shakir, who was among the 50-odd Pakistanis invited to a special screening of the final by Dhahran Cricket Association, said: “Our star was Afridi. The way he played his shots, the way he maintained his cool under fire, the way he bowled his offies and the way he blew that kiss to Kallis in the semi-final against South Africa ... He was in his elements and simply superb. We proved to the world: Yes, we can. Yes, we did. Stop berating us.”
Pakistanis took special pride in the fact that the team was led by Younus Khan, a Pathan from the troubled North-West Frontier Province.
“People in NWFP are going through the worst period in their history. I can imagine what must be going through Younis Khan’s mind. But for his stellar captainship and another Pathan’s stellar all-round display (Afridi) we wouldn’t have achieved this phenomenal victory,” said Pakistani businessman Amjad Qureishi. “There is a lesson here for us all Pakistanis, we can turn the tide against all odds provided we are one.”
Ghayasuddin Azizuddin, a financial analyst based in Jeddah, said he was confident of the Pakistani team’s victory in the final ever since the team came from behind in the last three matches. “The team was on a roll. Our cricketers were unstoppable especially after the victory over South Africa. We have been waiting for this moment since the 1992 World Cup victory. Cricket is a great unifier. It will help bind us together. We will savor this victory for a long time,” said Ghayasuddin.
Rana Jameel, a young student at a Pakistani school in Alkhobar, said repeated failure of the team in the world cricket arena had a demoralizing effect.
“We were losing interest in the game. Our parents had almost stopped us from watching the game on television because they thought it was having a bad impact on our morale. This victory is God-sent. We love you, Afridi. We love you, Younus Khan. We love you, Abdul Razzak,” said Jameel along with his classmates Junaid Salim, Habib Anwar and Tabeeb Rahman. "Alhamdulillah."
