So while the country gears up for what is considered to be the biggest showdown in Cricket World Cup history since 1992, it's necessary to put some things in perspective.
Don't get me wrong. I like sports. May be not cricket so much, but I am looking forward to the semi-final.
Nearly every channel is spewing forth its share of hype build-up by plunging us into an endless on-slaught of clips and footage intended to inspire within us a burning passion of patriotism. It is the most talked about topic on every talk show, and anyone who feels able enough to put in their 2 cents, is. Even the politicians have joined in....but then again they never had anything substantial to talk about, so this works out just fine for them (by the way Haider Abbas Rizvi you can't sing buddy). And there's no escape from it. If you think you can take a breather by switching off the TV, then you're out of luck, cuz then there's the newspaper, and then there's the incessant beeping of your in-coming text messages reminding you to pray and recite everything and anything you can to channelize divine intervention on the fateful day, and then there's all the cricket-oriented advertising from shoe stores to restaurants serving all kinds of fast foods named after each of the 11 cricketers, and if you think you can avoid all this..........then think yet again!!! Because then there's your next door neighbor, your children, your children's friends, your own friends, the people at work, your kaam wali, your milk man, your driver, your paper boy reminding you to read the paper, right down to the random guy you glanced at for 2 seconds while paying your grocery bill. YOU CANNOT ESCAPE IT!
So, everything in Pakistan right now is breathing, sleeping, and eating cricket. Might as well get used to it. Of course, let's not leave out the musician community, which is basically what I'm heading towards. Everyone's come out of their slumber and comfy confines, and put their voices to work and released some interesting songs. But, the idiocy of it is (yes, it is idiotic) when you are SINGING PATRIOTIC SONGS SUNG BY INDIANS FOR THE INDIAN CRICKET TEAM!!!!
Yeah I know ''De Ghuma Ke'' is the official World Cup song, but as a patriotic Pakistani, do you really want to be singing along? I mean, really! Do you?
Stick to your guns for once! Just this once can we leave aside our pathetic and inexplicable fascination and infatuation for all things Indian, and fall back on our own potential and talent? We will do just fine once we realize that we are also cool. Rather, just as cool and then more! Why must we become the kid with the low self-esteem who yearns to fit in with the popular clique?
Wake up Pakistanis! You're holding the green flag.....make it count! Be a true Pakistani!
