The agony & heartbreak of a millennial cricket fan
From 1999 to 2025, Pakistan cricket's cycle of heartbreak continues. Will there ever be an end to this agony?
As I sat in front of the TV, watching Pakistan's CT 2025 campaign come to a screeching halt, I couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions: shock, disappointment, and heartbreak.
Being a millennial, I've always been obsessed with cricket, particularly Pakistan's team.
Growing up, I experienced the highs of winning the 2009 T20 World Cup, as well as the lows, including the 1999 World Cup defeat, when then-captain Wasim Akram made the shocking decision to bat first on a wet surface.
This was followed by the 2003 exit, which was particularly significant because Pakistan's three cricket legends announced their retirements: Wasim Akram (who was the leading wicket-taker in World Cups with a tally of 55), Waqar Younis, the then-captain, and Saeed Anwar.
The 2007 World Cup was another disappointment, as Pakistan failed to advance beyond the group stage after being knocked out by Ireland and even a greater tragedy occurred with the sudden death of Head Coach Bob Woolmer a day after the defeat.
Although Pakistan managed to win the 2009 T20 World Cup, hopes were dashed again when the team lost the semi-final of the 2011 World Cup against India in Mohali.
Now, the most painful heartbreak is undoubtedly the early exit of Team Green from the ICC CT 2025, an event that Pakistan was hosting after a gap of three decades.
Pakistan's 1999 World Cup final nightmare relived
It's the second time, like me, among many countrymen are facing the similar heartbreaks, 26 years later.
I still remember, I was a kid at that time, and we had recently bought a 14-inch color television at home. I didn't even know how to operate the remote panel, but after fixing the terrestrial antenna, I sat down on the sofa and started watching the 1999 World Cup final.
The game progressed — remember, we had been world champions just seven years earlier and, at that time, we were the strongest side in '99 world cup.
We had Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Saeed Anwar, who scored back-to-back hundreds, Shoaib Akhtar, with the strongest middle-order pair of Inzamam-ul-Haq and Ijaz Ahmed, and the trio of all-rounders: Azhar Mahmood, Abdul Razzaq, and Shahid Afridi. And of course, Saleem Malik and Saqlain Mushtaq, making a solid balance to the batting and bowling departments.
Alas, we couldn't grasp the trophy, as Team Pakistan crumbled against the Australian bowling attack and were all out for 132.
What? 132 all out! The grief still haunts me, and the agony is beyond words.
I couldn't watch the remaining game. I went to sleep and only woke up to the news while preparing my school bag next day: the Aussies had won.
Twenty-six years ago, that crushing defeat left an indelible mark on my heart, and the pain still lingers.
And now, again, Pakistan has made an early exit from the Champions Trophy, a tournament the nation has had to wait 29 years to host. It's beyond words to explain the feelings of Pakistani cricket enthusiasts, who have been left reeling from the team's dismal performance.
A cricket passionate nation with illussions & paranoia
Our generation has suffered many setbacks at the hands of the national team, and now we don't have the courage to endure more.
It's time for the cricket board to prepare for surgery on the Green Shirts.
We don't need these Kings - Babar, Speed Guns Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah, and Haris Rauf. Hot take: their central contracts should be terminated, and they should be sent back to domestic cricket. If they perform well there, we can consider their return to the team; otherwise, let them go.
Pakistani cricket needs to transform itself according to the demands of modern cricket. We're still stuck in the 90s, while the world has moved far ahead.
India is a clear example; their cricket and infrastructure are at least a decade ahead of us.
Pakistani cricket has a long journey ahead, and it needs to start today. Otherwise, the decline of Pakistani cricket, which has begun with this Champions Trophy, will only worsen, and Pakistani cricket fans will never want that to happen.
We have a rich cricket legacy, how can we watch it disappear before our eyes?
For Pakistan... all is on the line!
But we must not lose hope. Instead, it's time for us to come out in large numbers to fill the stadiums to capacity for each remaining game, regardless of the fact that home team has been knocked out of the tournament.
If we fail to do so, which I doubt, it will be a setback not only for Pakistan cricket but also for future generations.
Cricket is a shared passion, and we must live in the moment and graciously accept defeat with open hearts. Whether we win or lose, we shouldn't lose our spirit, because, as they say: 'all is on the line'.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Recorder
16 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Senegal become first African team to beat England with 3-1 win in friendly
NOTTINGHAM: Senegal became the first African team to beat England in 22 games on Tuesday, winning 3-1 in a friendly at the City Ground thanks to goals from Ismaila Sarr, Habib Diarra and Cheikh Sabaly. Senegal stretched their unbeaten streak to 24 games, while England's loss, which included a disallowed late goal from Jude Bellingham for a handball in the build-up, was their first defeat in four games under new manager Thomas Tuchel. 'Not good enough,' captain Harry Kane told ITV. 'We had moments, but with and without the ball things aren't clicking, we're not finding the right tempo. We've lost that aggressive nature that we had.' England – with 10 changes from Saturday's 1-0 lacklustre World Cup qualifying win over Andorra – took the lead when Kane struck in the seventh minute after Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy saved Anthony Gordon's shot but spilled the ball into the striker's path. The hosts conceded for the first time under Tuchel when Sarr caught Kyle Walker napping to poke in Nicolas Jackson's cross in the 40th minute. The visitors doubled their lead in the 62nd when Diarra latched onto a ball over the top then fired through goalkeeper Dean Henderson's legs. Sabaly struck deep into stoppage time, prompting boos from England fans after the final whistle. 'We're not going to panic but we know we need to be better,' Kane said. 'New ideas, there's new players coming into the team that don't have experience at international level. 'It's a mixture of things but no excuses. We need to find it quick, the World Cup is going to come around really fast so every camp is really important right now.' Senegal peppered Henderson with nine shots on target to England's four, including an early header from Sarr that the goalkeeper pushed wide of the post. Gordon squandered a glorious chance to give England a two-goal lead in the first half when he mis-hit Walker's cross from close range. Mendy made a great late save to deny England what would have been an equaliser from Bukayo Saka before Senegal added their third. Mauricio Pochettino problems mount as US routed 4-0 by Switzerland 'Disappointing result, not sure if maybe didn't deserve a little bit more result-wise,' Tuchel said. 'But felt again a bit frozen, not active enough for a long time of the match. 'We conceded the first two goals, very easy goals, that we needed to defend better. The reaction was good after we were down, suddenly more active, more free, more fluid, more aggressive towards the opponent's goals. We had then big chances to equalise.'
Business Recorder
16 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Mauricio Pochettino problems mount as US routed 4-0 by Switzerland
LOS ANGELES: An experimental United States line-up crashed to a 4-0 friendly home defeat to Switzerland on Tuesday, deepening the gloom around Mauricio Pochettino's squad one year out from hosting the World Cup. A game intended as a morale-boosting send-off before the USA take part in the CONCACAF Gold Cup unraveled in a disastrous first half that saw Switzerland 4-0 up after 36 minutes in Nashville. Dan Ndoye, Michel Aebischer, Breel Embolo and Johan Manzambi scored for Switzerland to leave a disgruntled home crowd at Geodis Park in Nashville raining boos down from the stands. The defeat was the fourth straight loss suffered by Pochettino's side, the first time the US has lost four in a row since 2007. Pochettino is planning for the USA's Gold Cup campaign, which kicks off on Sunday against Trinidad and Tobago, without several key players who are unavailable. Brazil, Ecuador book World Cup berths, Uruguay on brink AC Milan star Christian Pulisic was excused duty from the tournament after requesting a rest while Juventus duo Weston McKennie and Tim Weah are unavailable due to the Italian side's participation in the FIFA Club World Cup. Those absences left former Chelsea and Tottenham coach Pochettino having to dig deep to gauge the depth of his resources as the US builds towards next year's World Cup finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico. On Tuesday's evidence, the return of his European-based stars cannot come soon enough after Switzerland ran riot in a lopsided first half. Pochettino said he bore responsibility for picking the inexperienced line-up that were outclassed by the rampant Swiss. 'First of all it's my responsibility the choice of the starting 11. I wanted to give minutes to certain players, but we were never in the game,' the Argentine said. US defender Walker Zimmerman attempted to put a brave face on the mauling, insisting there was still plenty of time for the side to improve before next year's World Cup. 'It's easy to look at one half and think this is all going to pieces, that we can't come back from a result like this,' Zimmerman told TNT television. 'But look at the build-up to 2022 – we took down Morocco 3-0 and they made the semi-final. Things change. That was six months apart. 'So it's not the end of the world. We accept that it's not good enough and we realize that. That's where the disappointment comes in, but we have to flip the script and we've gotta make sure we do not come out like that ever again.'
Business Recorder
16 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Brazil, Ecuador book World Cup berths, Uruguay on brink
SAO PAULO: Brazil booked their place at the 2026 World Cup in North America on Tuesday with a lackluster 1-0 home victory over Paraguay, the first win of Carlo Ancelotti's reign. The five-time world champions punched their ticket to the finals in Canada, the United States and Mexico thanks to Vinicius Jr. The Real Madrid star poked in from close range in the 44th minute in Sao Paulo after a cross from new Manchester United signing Matheus Cunha. It was the perfect gift for the Italian Ancelotti on his 66th birthday, having seen his new side held 0-0 by Ecuador last week in his first game as coach. Former Real Madrid boss Ancelotti praised his team's 'commitment' and 'attitude'. 'It was a good match with a very good first half, although obviously we suffered a bit because Paraguay are very solid opponents and we slowed down a bit in the second,' he said. Uruguay's 2-0 win over Venezuela in Montevideo had raised the prospect of qualification for both Brazil and Paraguay at Corinthians Arena. Paraguay needed only a point to qualify while Brazil knew they could advance with a win. In the event it was Brazil who seized the opportunity presented by Venezuela's loss with Vinicius scoring the only goal just before half-time. Brazil had struggled to create many chances up until that point, with Cunha squandering a golden chance in the 35th minute after heading wide from point-blank range. Cunha made up for it with a key part in the goal, capitalizing on good work from Raphinha to dart into the box and whip in a low cross for Vinicius, who stabbed home the finish. The win lifted Brazil into third place in the South American standings with 25 points from 16 games, guaranteeing them a top-six finish and an automatic qualifying berth. Looking ahead to next summer, Ancelotti said he had 'a very long list' of 70 players in mind, including Neymar, who was missing with injury. He added: 'I really liked those who were with me in this squad for their commitment, their attitude, and the atmosphere.' Part one complete as Popovic's Australia lock up World Cup berth The defeat left Paraguay with 24 points, meaning they need one point to secure their first World Cup appearance since 2010. Ecuador book place Surprise package Ecuador joined Brazil by sealing qualification with a point following a 0-0 draw with Peru in Lima. In other games, Uruguay edged closer to qualification with their win over Venezuela while Chile were eliminated with defeat to Bolivia. Goals from Rodrigo Aguirre and Giorgian de Arrascaeta secured all three points for Marcelo Bielsa's Uruguay to leave the two-time world champions firmly on course for a place in next year's finals. Like Paraguay, Uruguay need only a point from their final two games to qualify. Venezuela, who are bidding to reach the World Cup for the first time in the nation's history, are seventh with 18 points from 16 games. Argentina, who have already qualified, came from behind to frustrate Colombia with a 1-1 draw in Buenos Aires. But Colombia's hopes of a vital win were dashed nine minutes from time when Thiago Almada weaved into the box and found the target to level. The top six finishers in South America qualify automatically for the World Cup, with the seventh-placed team advancing to an intercontinental playoff. Bolivia defeated Chile 2-0 to end the former South American champions' hopes of qualification. It is the third straight World Cup that Chile have missed out on. The loss continues a dramatic fall from grace for 'La Roja', who won back-to-back Copa Americas in 2015 and 2016.
