There was a time when Pakistan’s cricketers were known to not wear their religion on their sleeves. But in the last two decades, the flamboyant lives of Pakistani cricketers took a turn in the opposite direction – from the likes of Majid Khan, Imran Khan, Zaheer Abbas and Asif Iqbal to the bearded culture of Saeed Anwar, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Yousaf.
All hell broke loose when Shoaib Akhtar recently commented on the treatment meted out to Danish Kaneria because of his faith. His said a few players didn’t want to eat with Kaneria because he was a Hindu. Inzamam refuted Akhtar’s claims and refused to accept that Pakistanis have such small hearts. “Pakistanis have big hearts and we can accept everyone in our hearts,” said an emotional Inzamam.
While we don’t know about Inzi’s heart, Kaneria backed Akhtar’s statement and said he will name the players who often don’t talk to him because he is a Hindu. It is not the first time that a Hindu cricketer in Pakistan has raised the issue of discrimination by co-players. Pakistan’s first Hindu cricketer Anil Dalpat blamed Imran Khan for ruining his career.
Also read: Cricket, hijab, language: How the British, French and Americans conduct citizenship tests
No problem here
The issue of treating Pakistanis from non-Muslims backgrounds as ‘others’ is a deep-rooted problem in the country. The brainwashing begins when a child goes to a school and is taught: “The Hindu has always been an enemy of Islam.” Equating it with anti-India sentiment, Pakistani textbooks often vilify Hindus: “Hindu thugs massacred Muslims and forced them to leave India”; “The religion of Hindu never taught them good things”; or “Hindus worship in temples which are very narrow and dark places, where they worship idols. Only one person can enter the temple at a time. In our mosques, on the other hand, all Muslims can say their prayers together.”
So, when Pakistani batsman Ahmed Shehzad was caught on camera saying, “If you are a non-Muslim and you turn Muslim, no matter whatever you do in your life, [you will go] straight to heaven,” to Sri Lanka’s Tillakaratne Dilshan, it came as no surprise, because that is what he grew up learning probably. Then Shahid Afridi went on to say that he broke the television screen at this home when he saw his daughter imitate the ‘aarti’ ritual.
Amongst those offended by Shoaib Akhtar’s remarks was Mohammad Yousaf. He said that being a member of the Pakistani cricket team, he always received love and support from his team members. Notwithstanding Yousaf’s conversion to Islam from Christianity, his belief system always crops up in cricketing disagreements. Whether it is cricketer Ramiz Raja calling him a liar with a beard or Shahid Afridi saying that Yousaf is not a cricketer but a preacher, and a beard and topi doesn’t change a person from within. Sadly, the journey from making the sign of the cross to going down in sajda on the field won’t be testimony enough.
Also read: Even big men cry: How cricketers like Virat Kohli are batting for inclusive masculinity
In god’s hands
Cricket and showbiz have been a fertile ground for celebrity tableeghis (preachers) like pop singer Junaid Jamshed and actress Veena Malik. The influence of the tableeghi jamaat (party of preachers) on the cricket team in the early 2000s has made the glorious years in the 1980s and 1990s a distant memory. What we have now is a cocktail of sport, religion and politics.
While at home, the US-led War on Terror led to the Islamisation of the Pakistani cricket team, it is ironic that the policy of ‘enlightened moderation’ of General Pervez Musharraf was being sold to the West at the same time. It was for this reason that Musharraf had asked the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board to tell the cricketers to stop the overt show of religiosity and maintain a balance.
What started under Inzamam’s captaincy continues under his ‘selectorship’. The Pakistani team often visits preacher Maulana Tariq Jameel to get tips before a big tournament. World cricketers seek mentorship from the likes of Steve Waugh, but Pakistani players rather take religio-cricketing advice. They say that the Maulana tells them that everything is in the hand of god and they must just try their best. It is up to god to grant success or failure and it is not up to the players to get end results. Going by Pakistan’s cricket performance in 2019, clearly god is not pleased.
The author is a freelance journalist from Pakistan. Her Twitter handle is @nailainayat. Views are personal.
Most Muslims, educated or not so educated, are obsessed with religion. This is really funny.
Most Muslims wear religion on their sleeves. their daily lives have no reflection of their religious values.
Excellent and thoroughly researched article that exposes the zombiness of isl*am. Keep it up!
Wow what loose talk. It doesn’t make sense and article is totally bias. Well it was expected from Indians who are boiled with pak hate. Tsk
Wow what loose talk. It doesn’t make sense and article is totally bias. Well it was expected from Indians who are boiled with pak hate. Tsk
The author seems to have a very narrow-minded approach about the acceptance of professionals practicing their religion , irrespective of the area they work in. I don’t know how she deliberately chooses to ignore the efforts of a number of Pakistani cricketers seeking advice on multiple occasions from a number of international cricket superstars like Shane Warne.
Misrepresenting Maulana’s words is all she could come up with. He always urges people, no matter which profession they are in, to perform their best (seeking guidance from the cricket veterans is obviously a part in achieving that), and not worrying much about the results (as this obviously is one of the ways to reduce pressure, play the natural game and perform better), which almost all the cricket veteran themselves would agree with. The author’s stance amuses me.
I reckon she might be having problem with Hashim Amla’s beard as well while sporting which he broke numerous records set by Virat Kohli, since he also has links with Tableeghi Jamaat. It is like saying that the same Pakistani team with bearded players perform better in the foreign conditions of England than their “unbearded” Indian contemporaries. I mean how could anyone even come up with such illogical and irrelevant stuff! There are numerous other factors for their subpar performance in 2019 which she simply ignores. The same team, by the way, beat a very strong Indian team black and blue in the Champions Trophy just two years back besides the 2000s team winning the World T20 in 2009.
Danish Kaneria has, by the way, said that the likes of Inzamam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Yousuf, Younis Khan and Shoaib Akhtar always supported him and he never had issues with them. So for the author’s information, the beards of the former two never troubled him like they are troubling the author. 😀
P. S.: Ms. Inayat, please try to back your stance with at least some concrete facts next time, if you seriously have some issues with the “beardos” in particular.
Thank you naila for writing this brave article. Can tell from personal experience that players in Pakistan are not even given chance to play national because of being non Muslim.
A piece of article which only demonstrate Islamophobia. So sad.
Gando ye log team me aye kaisey jab discrimination hoti hey Pakistan me, ek munafiq aur mutaseb writer ho, likhna hey tu un lakhon caroro mazlom musalmano k huqoq pe likho jo tum jaisey mutaseb zehneyat ke hamil tumhari hindo government asab kar rahi hey.
Poorly researched and a very opinionated article, especially due to the fact that both are known to have very shady backgrounds, both are prone to lying/make up stuff as they please, and at least one has been banned for life for fixing. Also, the fact that after pulling these accusations out of thin air, 8-10 years after their careers ended; none of them is really giving any names despite repeated requests!
Be safe…you might get tidnaped but secular media in India will look other way..
How can you call India secular? It doesn’t give right to Muslims of its citizenship just because of their faith.So embarracing
What rubbish? Why are you people always in denial?
FYI Azzaruddin was captain of India for many years. Indian team always had one or two Muslims. No the case with pak teams. Ofcourse, how can they have when they murdered, butchered all hindus. Simple matter.
The Pakistan cricket team is now a bunch of losers.
Dont blame cricketers. Is*am itself propagate and believe in exclusiveism. It is against the spirit of indian constitution which gives freedom of faith and religion. It doesn’t recognize or tolerate the existence of any re*igion, *aith,cul*ure. Every mus*im is asked to con*ert at least 5 ka*ir into is*am. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I heard inzmam ul haq revealing in talkshow that he invited Brian lara on deen ki daavat and explained the merits of is*amic married life. It was attempt to seek his con*ersion into is*am. Lol.
I wish the writer had shed light on the issue that despite repeated requests, no names have been mentioned by either Shoaib or Kaneria, yet. With Kaneria’s fixing back ground and Shoaib’s known penchant for making up stuff for ‘likes/viewers’, maybe she should have covered the more probable angle of ‘Lying’ for publicity? Poorly researched and prejudicely written article at best!
Naila – Thanks for being funny and informative at the same time. You write very well.
Agreed.