Islamisation of Pakistani cricket

[Cheetah786]

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.

http://www.thepakistaninewspaper.com/

 

[Cheetah786]

KINGSTON (Jamaica), March 18: Pakistan crashed out of the 2007 World Cup with a humiliating performance against the leprechauns of Ireland. Saturday the 17th of March will be remembered as one of the darkest days in the history of Pakistan cricket. It certainly made this Pakistan’s worst World Cup. The proud history created by cricketing heroes like Imran Khan, Javed Miandad, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis has been dragged through the mud of Montego Bay.

The cricketing tragedy was dimmed by the human tragedy of the shocking death of Bob Woolmer. Pakistan’s coach was fundamentally a decent man, who wanted to achieve great success with Pakistan, a team he viewed as brimful of talent. But his inability to stop Pakistan’s rapid decline over the last year meant he would not have continued beyond this tournament. Even Woolmer’s expertise in coaching failed to find a solution to Pakistan’s problems of opening, batting on seaming tracks, and fielding.

Now Inzamam-ul-Haq is under immense pressure to resign. The World Cup made a hero out of Inzamam the boy. It has brought humiliation to Inzamam the captain. There seems little logic to allowing him to continue as captain in either form of the game, an earth-shattering end to the ambitions of a man who wanted to emulate Imran Khan.

The responsibility for this national disaster does not stop with Inzamam but goes right to the top, taking in the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board and its patron.

The deepening gloom of a Jamaican evening and helpful umpiring were not enough to get Pakistan off the hook against an Irish team that showed more spirit than Pakistan have been able to produce all tournament. On St Patrick’s Day, a national holiday in Ireland, Pakistan followed up their gift to the host nation with another donation to their opponents.

Pakistan’s bowlers struggled manfully to retrieve another hopeless situation but lacked the killer touch to finish off a team of amateurs. Their cause was not helped by the absence of Danish Kaneria, picked as a match-winner but left out of a do-or-die encounter against batsmen unfamiliar with legspin:wall: .

But the crisis had been created by another inept display from Pakistan’s criticised openers and celebrated middle order. Heightening confusion and lack of a clear strategy have engulfed Pakistan cricket over the last six months, incidentally since the elevation of Dr Nasim Ashraf to board chairman. While top teams like Australia and South Africa have known their ideal one-day combination for many months and only fine-tuned them over recent weeks, Pakistan’s selection has been haphazard and often devoid of logic. The strategy of the team management has been usurped by the interference of the PCB.

The injury fiasco and doping saga have shown the PCB in the worst possible light and drawn attention to the lack of unified vision among senior members of the cricket board, selectors and team management. Off the field, Pakistan cricket has displayed incompetence. On the field, Pakistan cricket has displayed a lack of guts and a lethargy that was thought impossible among international sportsmen.

Clearly, Inzamam failed to inspire his charges. Inzamam’s low-key style of captaincy sits uncomfortably with the Pakistani psyche, and his constant passing on of responsibility to the will of Allah has become an embarrassment. What more can be said of a captain who chose to bat at number 5 against an associate member of the ICC when his team required him to lead from the front?

The worst aspect has been that Pakistan have made the same mistakes over and over again. The problem of finding an opening partnership to replace Saeed Anwar and Aamir Sohail remains just that several years after their retirement. Pakistan’s master batsmen seem unable to cope with conditions that offer the slightest swing and seam. At times of pressure, the batsmen crumble, failing to take responsibility. The team’s fielding resembles a bunch of geriatrics out for an evening stroll. Even the famous intervention of Jonty Rhodes failed to have an effect, with Inzamam commenting that Rhodes taught the team all the wrong things and left. Those same “incorrect” methods look to be working a treat for South Africa, a team full of energy and commitment to self-improvement.
The one outstanding achievement of the Inzamam-Woolmer era is that Pakistan’s cricket is much more consistent than it ever was. No longer the periods of brilliance punctuated by a flash of recklessness. Consistent failure has become a norm:toast: .

Pakistan cricket requires a root and branch reform that sees a new captain, coach, selection committee, chairman of the board and his colleagues, and a new patron. Merit must replace nepotism and favouritism, a proper constitution must replace ad-hocism. These demands are not new. They have been recommended since the slide began in the mid-1990s but they have not been heeded. Now Pakistan finds itself at the bottom of international cricket’s pecking order.

The politicisation of cricket in Pakistan is a major handicap to its development, and the president’s personal selection of his pals to the post of the chairman and the media manager of the cricket team have emphasised how flawed the system is. Both the chairman and the media manager have become a laughing stock at home and abroad, and don’t reflect well on the president’s ability to choose his lieutenants wisely.

The era of Inzamam has been a contradiction to the Pakistani mindset, a defensive and passive outlook that has sucked the passion out of the team’s cricket. Pakistan cricket must return to the values that made it great: aggression, passion and fearlessness. And it must start now.
http://www.dawn.com/2007/03/19/top15.htm

 

[Introvert]

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.

http://www.thepakistaninewspaper.com/

The teams poor performance in the world cup has nothing to with them being religious, period.

 

[Neo]

Religion and the way you practice is should be a personal choice only. personally I'm a strong supporter of secularism.

 

[Cheetah786]

Religion and the way you practice is should be a personal choice only. personally I'm a strong supporter of secularism.

couldn't agree more.

 

[A.Rahman]

The teams poor performance in the world cup has nothing to with them being religious, period.

I fully agree with you; In fact it might help to curb the match fixing & cheating.

 

[niaz]

Team members are a part of Pakistan society. Just as Pak society at large has been Islamicised to a great extent after the Zia era, cricket team is no different. It is one hundred percent true that religion is a personal choice and whether one parties hard or is a devout muslim should have no consequence what so ever on the playing abilities. One has to strike a balance.

I however concur with the article that the loss of form may have something to do with the Inzi being very devout. Not that it is a bad thing, but one can take religion too far. Let me explain from the criterian of self reference:

First time I went to work in the Middle East was in Kuwait National Petroleum Company. I was in the Process Economics and I had two very devout Kuwaitis ( of Hanbali/Wahabi maslak) attached to me as Trainees. Naturally, being with me all the time, we used to discuss many topics including religion and the difference between Islam as practiced in Pakistan and in Kuwait. When I told them that for Isha prayer all of us normally offer 17 Rakaats including Witr. They would not believe me. Their point was that if you have nothing else to do, please go ahead and pray all day and Tahajjud as well. But Allah only demands that when you hear the call for prayer ( Azaan) leave everyhing that you are doing, offer 'Farz' and then go back to you daily chores. As long as you do this you have fulfilled your obligation to Allah. Dont expect Allah to reward you if you neglect your normal duties and pray all the time. Islam is not a religion of Raahibs ( Monks)

Additionally, neither of those sported beards of Sunnat lenght, instead the typical chin beard ( Qadiani style) of the Arabs. On my questioning they replied that beard is not necessary, many of the Sehaba's had beards of different lenghts. Lot of the Prayer leaders in Kuwait donot sport Sunnat beard. They repeated what I had previously heard from Maulana Maudoodi ( Islam has beard but beard doesnot have Islam). According to their belief, Huqooq ul Ibad were as important as Huqoog Allah. At if Pakistani muslims thought just by overtly following the Sunnah, they were becoming good muslims; then Pakistanis are misguided.

I have heard Inzi's interviews and he leaves every thing to the will of Allah. Allah will help you but you have to strive very hard yourself. You cannot put a donkey in the Derby race and pray to Allah to make the donkey run faster than thorough bred horses!. IMO Inzi suffers from a severe lack in self belief and leaves every thing to Allah.

Allam Iqbal in his poem "Ghulamo ki Namaz' replies to a Turkish visitor who asks "Why Indian Imams spend so long in their Sajda". That we have nothing else to do but pray. Thing this is true of Inzi. I can never believe that he said in the interview " We had come with high hopes but Luck was not with us". What luck?? Pakistan had an eay group, only two strong teams ( PAK & WI) Did Inzi expect Allah to send Angels to bat for him. If this is what Tableeghi Jamaat does to you, I am better off as I am.

 

[Keysersoze]

Team members are a part of Pakistan society. Just as Pak society at large has been Islamicised to a great extent after the Zia era, cricket team is no different. It is one hundred percent true that religion is a personal choice and whether one parties hard or is a devout muslim should have no consequence what so ever on the playing abilities. One has to strike a balance.

I however concur with the article that the loss of form may have something to do with the Inzi being very devout. Not that it is a bad thing, but one can take religion too far. Let me explain from the criterian of self reference:

First time I went to work in the Middle East was in Kuwait National Petroleum Company. I was in the Process Economics and I had two very devout Kuwaitis ( of Hanbali/Wahabi maslak) attached to me as Trainees. Naturally, being with me all the time, we used to discuss many topics including religion and the difference between Islam as practiced in Pakistan and in Kuwait. When I told them that for Isha prayer all of us normally offer 17 Rakaats including Witr. They would not believe me. Their point was that if you have nothing else to do, please go ahead and pray all day and Tahajjud as well. But Allah only demands that when you hear the call for prayer ( Azaan) leave everyhing that you are doing, offer 'Farz' and then go back to you daily chores. As long as you do this you have fulfilled your obligation to Allah. Dont expect Allah to reward you if you neglect your normal duties and pray all the time. Islam is not a religion of Raahibs ( Monks)

Additionally, neither of those sported beards of Sunnat lenght, instead the typical chin beard ( Qadiani style) of the Arabs. On my questioning they replied that beard is not necessary, many of the Sehaba's had beards of different lenghts. Lot of the Prayer leaders in Kuwait donot sport Sunnat beard. They repeated what I had previously heard from Maulana Maudoodi ( Islam has beard but beard doesnot have Islam). According to their belief, Huqooq ul Ibad were as important as Huqoog Allah. At if Pakistani muslims thought just by overtly following the Sunnah, they were becoming good muslims; then Pakistanis are misguided.

I have heard Inzi's interviews and he leaves every thing to the will of Allah. Allah will help you but you have to strive very hard yourself. You cannot put a donkey in the Derby race and pray to Allah to make the donkey run faster than thorough bred horses!. IMO Inzi suffers from a severe lack in self belief and leaves every thing to Allah.

Allam Iqbal in his poem "Ghulamo ki Namaz' replies to a Turkish visitor who asks "Why Indian Imams spend so long in their Sajda". That we have nothing else to do but pray. Thing this is true of Inzi. I can never believe that he said in the interview " We had come with high hopes but Luck was not with us". What luck?? Pakistan had an eay group, only two strong teams ( PAK & WI) Did Inzi expect Allah to send Angels to bat for him. If this is what Tableeghi Jamaat does to you, I am better off as I am.

Well said! After all, do they praise Allah after they get humiliated? As I have said before, God helps those who help themselves.

 

[Cheetah786]

niaz well said.Thank you.

 

[Neo]

Great post Niaz!

 

[HAIDER]

well said Niaz....mullah and the cricket don't go togather. After reading this article, I realize why our team lost.
Today Inzi say he is retiring from One day, I would say he should retire now with his whole mullah clan and join TJ as full time molvi. Mercy on Pakistani cricket fans and national pride.

 

[sigatoka]

Pakistan lost in cricket because it was playing pathetic and drinking and having one night stands is not going to change that and may in fact if it was practised have led to an even more humiliating loss. It is too easy and frequently incorrect to mistake association for causation, just because Pakistan's players have become more religious doesnt mean it has caused them to start losing, in fact the counter argument that Pakistan's losing streak caused them to become more religious is just as valid (without actual empirical study undertaken). Take such cheap shots elsewhere.

 

[Awesome]

Drinking and promiscuity are not recommendations but a sign of level of freedom given IF the players wanted to do that. Currently one by one the players are keeping a Mullah-Beard (Rana Naved had one too right?), and spending their time in sermons rather than working from ground up to get us out of this weird situation.

Basically the feeling that the Pakistani team is giving off is "Allah bachayega, we can just sit on our bums and not do anything".

 

[Keysersoze]

Pakistan lost in cricket because it was playing pathetic and drinking and having one night stands is not going to change that and may in fact if it was practised have led to an even more humiliating loss. It is too easy and frequently incorrect to mistake association for causation, just because Pakistan's players have become more religious doesnt mean it has caused them to start losing, in fact the counter argument that Pakistan's losing streak caused them to become more religious is just as valid (without actual empirical study undertaken). Take such cheap shots elsewhere.

No-one is advocating they go drinking and womanising.....However when we get the philosophy of "gods will" rather than personal responsibility for our own failure then that is the wrong place to be as far as I am concerned.

The Australians drink heavily (and I am sure they womanise as well) however when they are on the cricket ground they concentrate upon the task at hand and use their skill and talent to win matches.

 

[HAIDER]

Its not a question of personal behavior, its totally lack of motivation and spirit in the team. When player convert sports dressing room into madrassa, what other players will expect. Religion is personal choice, neither Holy Prophet (pbuh) forced on masses nor we can do....Govt pay them huge sum to play cricket and represent Pakistan. Not getting paid for any other activity..

P.S sorry in advance, very sentimental after historical shameful defeat of our team.