KARACHI: The media and fans in Pakistan are not just savouring their team’s terrific series-win against world number one England but they are also relishing the pounding India received at the hands of Australia Down Under.
The Pakistani media has been giving lot of coverage to India’s humiliation in Australia and have highlighted with obvious pleasure that the Indian media is praising the performance of Misbah-ul-Haq and his players against England.
“Whether we accept it openly or not but such is our cricket rivalry with India that when they lose and we win it gives us more to pleasure,” psychologist Dr Ambreen explained.
“The fact that the Indian media has been urging their players to learn a lesson from the Pakistan team is also very satisfying for our people,” she said.
Former captain Moin Khan believes that Pakistanis are also happy with the situation because of the way the Indian cricket establishment has shunned Pakistani players from the Indian Premier League.
“Obviously there is anger at the way our players are being treated and ignored by the Indians where the IPL is concerned. The better our team is performing the more the value of our players is increasing,” he said.
India’s crushing defeat in the fourth test has been given prompt coverage by the Pakistani media which has constantly highlighted that the Indians are tigers only at home while Pakistan have been winning away despite many scandals and problems that have hit Pakistan cricket.
“I think we badly needed this win over a top team. The series victory comes at just the right time for Pakistan cricket which needs to have international teams playing in Pakistan again,” PCB Chairman Zaka Ashraf told reporters in Abu Dhabi.
Ashraf, who is in Abu Dhabi with chief operating officer, Subhan Ahmad to attend a ICC meeting, indicated that Pakistan’s good performances on the field and a controversy free last few months would allow him to plead Pakistan’s case to have international cricket at home more forcefully.
Former captain Zaheer Abbas felt that given Pakistan’s intense cricket rivalry with India the reaction of the Pakistani cricket fans was not surprising.
“We lost to them in the World Cup semi-final. India is not willing to play bilateral cricket with us. In this background it is understandable that our people are enjoying our team’s victory and India’s capitulation in Australia,” he said. (PTI)
