It would be hard to recall another sporting matchup that was as momentous as the first T20I between Pakistan and Zimbabwe on May 22, despite the result of the match being a superfluous detail. The atmosphere outside Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore epitomised the mood of a nation that realised that Pakistan would win at the end of the contest no matter which team scored more runs.
“I’m pretty sure not many spectators can name the captain of the Zimbabwean side,” a fan said while talking to The Friday Times near the Liberty round about, where the multi-layered security checks started. “But the starting line-ups are unnecessary details right now. It’s all about welcoming cricket back to Pakistan.”
Elton Chigumbura, the Zimbabwean captain, introduced himself to those who might not have been aware of his exploits, with a couple of blistering knocks in the two T20Is. The 54 he scored off 35 balls last Friday was received with a standing ovation by the 27,000 spectators, with chants of “Zimbabwe! Zimbabwe!” echoing in Gaddafi Stadium.
Pakistan would have won at the end of the contest regardless of which team scored more runs
When asked during the post-match press conference whether he had ever received such a warm reception in any games away from home, his reply was a brief, yet conclusive, “No,” exclamation marked with a graceful smile.
“It just goes to show how much cricket means to the crowds here,” Chigumbura added.
With the first T20I scheduled to start at 7:00 pm local time, crowds had begun to zoom in on Gaddafi Stadium around 2:00 pm, considering the security layers. Any inkling of apprehension with regards to any security threats was overcome by chants of “Pakistan zindabad!” a kilometre away from the stadium, hours before the first ball was bowled.
“We’re giving out a strong message to anyone who thinks it’s not safe to play cricket in Pakistan” an enthusiastic student of the Lahore Grammar School said while standing in a queue outside the stadium. “If it’s unsafe, why are there tens of thousands of people rushing in to get a piece of the action?” she added.
Ahmed Shehzad takes a team selfie with the winners' trophy
“We can’t let terrorists win,” said a man who had come from Sialkot to watch the match. “Cricket has always united Pakistan. It will also unite us against terrorism,” he added.
The two contests themselves were quintessential T20 games, with nail-biting finishes carved out from seemingly one-sided encounters. Pakistan were cruising at 142-0 in 13.2 overs chasing 173 in the first T20I, before a typical batting collapse left Pakistan with 4 off 4 balls with five wickets remaining. The captain, Shahid Afridi struck the third ball off the last over, straight over the bowler Tinashe Panyangara’s head for a boundary as Gaddafi Stadium’s collective roar sunk the sighs of relief.
Afridi later light-heartedly described the batting collapse as being “needed to avoid making it a one-sided contest, and making sure that the crowds had their money’s worth” perfectly highlighting how festivity had supplanted competitiveness, with the crowds zealously applauding both sides.
Nerves, however, were palpable considering that the Pakistani players were playing international cricket at home after years – some for the first time ever. And nerves did get the better of Pakistan in the second T2OI on Sunday as well with the team chasing 176, when another batting collapse nearly gifted Zimbabwe the game. With 12 needed off the final over it was Bilawal Bhatti who rose to the occasion and smashed 13 off 5 balls, batting at number 10, amidst echoes of “Bhatti! Bhatti!” in turn seemingly vindicating the team’s strategy of stuffing the staring 11 with ‘all-rounders’ that added depth to the batting line-up.
Cricket fans holding banners inside Gaddafi Stadium ahead of the first T20I
The man who truly made his mark and announced his arrival was the young opener Mukhtar Ahmed who struck 83 and 62 to deservingly win the Man of the Series award. Why he wasn’t selected for the ODI series can only be answered through a mystifying decoding mechanism available only in PCB chambers reserved for Pakistan selection committee meetings.
Two players who did manage to get into both the T20 and ODI squads are Shoaib Malik and Mohammed Sami. To say that it was a mixed return would be a little generous to the two veterans. But Malik at least has made amends in the first ODI.
Even so, Zimbabwe’s tour of Pakistan is not about scrutiny over team selections, adjudicating performances, match analyses or final scores. It’s a lot more than the mere return of international cricket. For a nation that has made a name for coming back from the dead on the field, the tour is about a different kind of a comeback..
Hope, optimism and pride has returned in a country drenched in turmoil. A minute-long clip of the national anthem reverberating inside the Gaddafi Stadium before the first T20I should suffice in vindicating that.
