Article

2007-03-18 India-Pakistan

Pakistan seethes after humiliation UPDATE: protests in Multan, Pak team coach found dead

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Posted by John Frum 2007-03-18 09:42|| || Front Page|| [11139 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Any calls for Dire Revenge yet? Or is that more-or-less a permanent state?

Posted by Seafarious">Seafarious 2007-03-18 10:48|| 2007-03-18 10:48|| Front Page Top

#2 Questions are being asked about the Pakistan cricket team which has become a Talibagh Jamaat offshoot. The players try to outdo one another as "pious muslims" and are too weak to train during Ramadan.

The days of Imran Khan, when the team partied, boozed, drugged and whored around (but actually won matches) are long gone

Posted by John Frum 2007-03-18 10:52|| 2007-03-18 10:52|| Front Page Top

#3 You lost miserably to a country like Ireland.

Score one for The Infidels. I'm sure that one's getting plenty of laughs in the pubs this morning.
They'll be back in your Islamic Paradise soon, Senator Baig. Maybe you can stone them to death.

Posted by tu3031 2007-03-18 11:03|| 2007-03-18 11:03|| Front Page Top

#4 "Ashraf's head will probably be the first to roll "

He might want to consider taking this literally, given the 'culture' he's dealing with.

Posted by Glenmore">Glenmore 2007-03-18 12:37|| 2007-03-18 12:37|| Front Page Top

#5 There is nothing to compensate and the chairman must resign and go back to the United States," Baig said
No, thanks, we don't want him.

Posted by Deacon Blues">Deacon Blues 2007-03-18 14:00|| 2007-03-18 14:00|| Front Page Top

#6 #1: "Any calls for Dire Revenge yet? Or is that more-or-less a permanent state?"

I'll take what's behind Door #2, Sea.

Posted by Barbara Skolaut">Barbara Skolaut 2007-03-18 14:21|| 2007-03-18 14:21|| Front Page Top

#7 Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer has died after being discovered in his Jamaica hotel room on Sunday morning.

The 58-year-old former South Africa coach, who played for England between 1975 and 1981, was found unconscious at the Pegasus Hotel at 1045 local time.

He was taken to the emergency ward of the nearby University hospital but did not regain consciousness.

"It is very shocking news to all of the team and the team management," said Pakistan team manager Pervez Mir.

Posted by John Frum 2007-03-18 15:11|| 2007-03-18 15:11|| Front Page Top

#8 hmmm - I question the timing

was his head still on?

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2007-03-18 15:25|| 2007-03-18 15:25|| Front Page Top

#9 Dire Revenge it was, to my dismay. My condolences, Coach Woolmer. Rest in Peace.

Posted by Seafarious">Seafarious 2007-03-18 16:09|| 2007-03-18 16:09|| Front Page Top

#10 In Multan, Inzamam-ul-Haq's home town, incensed youth held a protest rally, chanted slogans against Pakistan and demanded that police arrest the World Cup squad.

The mob was heard chanting, "Death to Bob Woolmer , death to Inzamam, death to Nasim Ashraf - police should arrest them".

Posted by John Frum 2007-03-18 16:32|| 2007-03-18 16:32|| Front Page Top

#11 Islamisation of Pakistani cricket

By Amir Mir

The Pakistani cricket team that was once known as a hot band of happy-go-lucky stars has gone through a total transformation in the last decade, gradually turning into a coterie of Islamist preachers.

Long before the Islamists discovered their frightening zeal, Pakistani cricketers were considered typical of modern Muslims: they played flamboyantly, partied hard and didn't flaunt their religion publicly. They were the playboys of their time -- polished, educated and dashing; they had their one-night stands, clubbed and tippled; as great exponents of reverse swing as they were ardent admirers of fine legs. They had the lifestyle only stars have -- in any country, of any sport, of any religious persuasion. During the 70s, and 80s, Islam and the Pakistani cricket team were strangers to each other. The main hallmark of the cricket team at that time was professionalism as most of the cricketers used to play county cricket in England and because of their frequent interaction with British society, their grooming would show well in their behaviour. The 3-4 months in a year that the Pakistani team members such as Imran Khan, Majid Khan, Asif Iqbal, Sarfraz Nawaz, Javed Miandad, Zaheer Abbas, Mohsin Khan, Rameez Raja, etc, used to spend in England playing county cricket, would make them adopt the lifestyle of any other English cricketer: liquor, nightclubs, girlfriends and everything else that comes with the package.

However, those days of cricketing casualness are now memory, as are so many aspects of secular life in Jinnah's Pakistan. The Pakistani cricketers have never pursued their religious beliefs as devoutly as they do nowadays. "Bismillah" (In the name of Allah) or "Inshallah" (God willing) stud their every utterance, no matter whether they are on the field or elsewhere. The team members huddle together to pray on the ground during pre-match preparations; 'Islamic beards' are sported as an advertisement of their faith; batsmen have known to cramp because they fast and play during the holy month of Ramadan. This religiosity has come about because a clutch of players -- Inzimam, Mushtaq Ahmed (bowling coach), Mohammad Yousaf, Saqlain Mushtaq, Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik and Yasser Hameed -- have become members of the Tableeghi Jamaat (TJ), or the party of preachers, participating in public gatherings organised to propagate Islam and stress the virtue of an 'authentic Islamic lifestyle'.

The TJ has invaded the dressing room of the Pakistani cricket team -- they can be seen praying with players and reciting the Holy Quran for the team's success (never mind that it has been performing poorly). As TJ membership makes it incumbent upon a person to preach, most of the Tableeghi cricketers, especially Inzimam, often conduct preaching tours across Pakistan. Inzimam's penchant to mix religion with cricket has already sparked accusations that he favours Tabeeghi players over those who are either secular or prefer to confine religion to their private lives. The non-Tableeghi group is reportedly led by Vice-Captain Younas Khan and includes Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Asif, Danish Kaneria, Imran Nazir, Abdul Razzaq, etc. This divide often shadows differences between players.

Though Inzi is said to detest Shoaib for his indisciplined ways, some in the team feel that the real reason is the fast bowler's liberal views, his occasional pegs and his breathlessly busy night life. Shoaib confessed before an Anti-Doping Tribunal last year in Pakistan that he drinks alcohol and has an active sex life. Inzimam's religious passion can be gauged from the fact that on tours abroad, one of the rooms is declared a 'prayer' room, where the Tableeghi players would offer prayers and discuss religious issues. A former TV personality and now a member of the TJ, Naeem Butt, would usually be allowed to accompany the team and stay in the same hotel, but on his own expense. Butt would then arrange interactive sessions between the cricketers and officer-bearers of the TJ chapter of the host country.

The conspicuous Islamisation of the Pakistani cricket team recently prompted General Pervez Musharraf to advise the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board Dr Naseem Ashraf to ask the players to strike a balance between religion and cricket. The PCB chairman subsequently warned the Tableeghi cricketers at a recent press conference, asking them to "stop exhibiting their religious beliefs in public". In Naseem Ashraf's own words: "I have discussed the matter in detail with Inzimam, making it clear to him that religion is purely a private affair and there should not be any pressure on those who don't pray regularly. He assured me that there is no pressure at all on any of the players to do anything they don't want to do." In the same breath, though, he said that he did not want to spark a controversy over the sensitive issue of mixing religion with cricket.

So, how has the flamboyant cricket team of the past become a Tableeghi Jamaat redoubt? The Islamisation of the team, in a way, has been in tandem with the political and social transformation of Pakistani society. The transformation began with the 1977 ouster of a moderate Bhutto government and the confiscation of power by General Ziaul Haq, an Islamic fundamentalist, because of his being the son of a prayer leader. That was the time when the coterie of moderate cricket stars of the 70s started leaving the scene one by one, thus allowing the Islamic factor to gradually seep into the team. In the early days of the transformation, the Pakistani players didn't flaunt their religion. But the person who made religion hip in cricket was Imran Khan, as famous for his cricketing feats as he was for his romantic dalliances. His 'awakening' following retirement from cricket, and his public, even strident, endorsement of Islam provided a justification for those wanting to wear their religion on their faces. If even Imran could be unabashed about Islam, why shouldn't they, so went the logic.

It was just the boost for Islamists nurturing the hope of luring cricketers to their cause. Among these Islamists was Maulana Tariq Jameel, who, like Inzimam, is a Multani, and a close associate of Maulana Abdul Wahab, the ameer of the Pakistan chapter of the TJ. He began to concertedly target the cricket team once he had converted batsman Saeed Anwar to the cause of the Tableeghi Jamaat. The stylish left-handed opener, and a computer engineer by training, became a born-again Muslim in 2001, after the tragic death of his infant daughter Bismah. The traumatic experience prompted Saeed Anwar to find solace in religion; he joined the TJ. His primary task: work on present and former cricketers to join the TJ and spread the message of Islam. About his Tableeghi Jamaat experience, Anwar says: "There is only one aim in my life -- follow Allah Almighty's path and prepare for the Day of Judgment. I am a different Saeed Anwar today; the material world to me is meaningless. I have turned to Allah for solace and am committed to spread the religion to all parts of the world...Islam is a moderate religion and I am not a fanatic or a jehadi."

Thereafter, religion became a badge the Pakistani cricketers were willing to wear publicly, particularly Inzimam, whose shy and retiring personality acquired an assertive edge under the influence of Maulana Tariq Jameel. Perhaps religion provided Inzimam an anchor in the glamorous and corporate world that cricket has become and which he as a Multani must have found alienating. With the skipper under its sway, Tableeghi Jamaat now had an open field, winning over players in a number that the team could be said to be divided between the TJ and non-TJ groups.

Inzimam, however, denies any rift in the team: "The team is selected purely on the basis of merit. Believe me; nobody is compelled to do something he does not want to. There is no pressure on any player to join the collective namaz five times a day. Those who say otherwise have never offered prayers, nor have any links to Islam, which does not force anyone on the issue of religion." He furnishes proof of his contention thus, "Look at the players yourself. Only four players who toured South Africa - Mohammad Yousuf, Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik and myself -- have beards. Our religious activities have never stopped a match."

However, Inzimam strongly believes that the preaching sessions of the cricketers with Islamic scholars help develop unity in the team, and that his own piety enables him to overcome distractions on tours abroad. However, critics allege that most team members have grown beards as a show of allegiance to the captain and boosting their chances of being in the squad. Saqlain Mushtaq and Mushtaq Ahmed are counted among prime examples. There is also the peculiar case of Mohammad Yousaf, who converted from Christianity and seemingly never shaved thereafter. Despite repeated denials, many of the Pakistanis feel that Yousaf Youhana converted to boost his chance of becoming captain in the future.

Mohammad Yousaf, however, ascribes his conversion to the influence of the Tableeghi Jamaat preachers at their sessions in Raiwind, Lahore. "My conversion is because of a change of heart and not a calculated move. Danish Kaneria is a Hindu and there is no problem. I have already played for Pakistan for ten long years and there has been no problem. I didn't do this to be captain. Islam is the true religion because it says that life after death is the real life; the better you prepare for it, the better your present life will be." His transformation was not only confined to his faith, but extended to a change in name, appearance, behaviour -- and even performance on the field. A string of tall scores imparts credence to those who say Allah favours those who turn to Him. Residing in a posh Lahore locality, and having bought a Mercedes, Yousaf credits the benediction from above for the change in his fortune. And he is going to repay his debt to Allah. How? "After I retire, I plan to serve God by devoting myself to preaching Islam to all those out there who have not been exposed to the real face of the religion."

However, the non-Tableeghi members of the cricket team pooh-pooh the notion of religiosity helping players perform better and point out the irony of Saeed Anwar, Mushtaq Ahmad, Saqlain Mushtaq and Shahid Afridi, all members of the Tableeghi Jamaat, who lost their form once they took to sporting beards. But English-speaking opening batsman Salman Butt pleads the positive impact Islam has had on the team. As for religion-linked cricketing performance, Butt explains: "A lot of people work hard, but only those get to their destination who are lucky and have the help of God. We believe if we pray five times a day and go in the way of God, we will get help. That is our firm belief. It puts all of us in a very good spirit, and has made us disciplined -- a definite change in the Pakistan team."

Coach Bob Woolmer too recently admitted that religiosity has helped foster unity among players. He, however, added: "But there is the odd problem. You have to train the players with less intensity during Ramadan, or do it at a time of day when they have more strength. In some respects that can be frustrating as a coach." The non-TJ group, though, has a litany of complaints: a stifling atmosphere, charges of bias, mutual suspicion; that mixing religion with cricket is no way of playing the game. Former cricketer-turned-Tableeghi Agha Zahid says that his organisation recruits sporting stars, as also showbiz personalities, because "if they change their lifestyles, then others who idolise them would follow their example".

At the same time, however, there are those who insist that the issue is not about being religious but the manner in which it is flaunted, thereby threatening some and pressuring others to follow suit. For a society driven by religious passions that often, consciously or otherwise, shrink the secular space, cricketer-preachers could become the antithetical forces arrayed against General Musharraf's so-called agenda of enlightened moderation. This shrinking of the secular space is perhaps already happening in the cricket team. But for those persevering in the way of Allah Almighty, these are minor matters.

Posted by John Frum 2007-03-18 16:38|| 2007-03-18 16:38|| Front Page Top

#12 Bob Woolmer.

Posted by Seafarious">Seafarious 2007-03-18 17:18|| 2007-03-18 17:18|| Front Page Top

#13 I resume John's Frumm long and interesting post:

Without Islam Pakistani players were winners, with it they haave become losers.

Posted by JFM">JFM 2007-03-18 17:46|| 2007-03-18 17:46|| Front Page Top

#14 Inshallah.

Posted by Seafarious">Seafarious 2007-03-18 18:08|| 2007-03-18 18:08|| Front Page Top

#15 A most interesting post, John Frum. It would seem that fundamentalist Islam is as incompatible with the game of cricket is it is with the rest of the modern world.

Posted by SteveS 2007-03-18 18:15|| 2007-03-18 18:15|| Front Page Top

#16 Once again, General Guinness and his Dublin Boozeliers overcomes adversity and saves the day.

Posted by Alaska Paul">Alaska Paul 2007-03-18 18:42|| 2007-03-18 18:42|| Front Page Top

#17 India fans also ~~unhappy~~ seething.

Posted by Seafarious">Seafarious 2007-03-18 20:20|| 2007-03-18 20:20|| Front Page Top

#18 There is so much betting in India on these matches that a loss to Bangladesh invokes suspicion of bookie rigging...

Posted by John Frum 2007-03-18 20:27|| 2007-03-18 20:27|| Front Page Top

#19 #8 Frank - Here's hoping CSI: West Indies questions the timing, too.

I don't even follow (or care about) sports, and it looks suspicious to me.

Posted by Barbara Skolaut">Barbara Skolaut 2007-03-18 22:24|| http://ariellestjohndesigns.com/page/15bk1/Home_Page.html]">[http://ariellestjohndesigns.com/page/15bk1/Home_Page.html] 2007-03-18 22:24|| Front Page Top

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