Mumbai, May 28 (IANS) This is a story narrated by a journalist who had covered India’s tour of Pakistan in the 1980s — when the India-Pakistan rivalry was at its peak in Test cricket.
The tours were also known for sharing off-field bonhomie as the players used to stay in the same hotel, and would spend time together at the end of the day’s play.
In between two Test matches in that tour, a party was organised for the Indian cricketers and visiting journos with liquor flowing like water, despite it being banned in Pakistan.
Suddenly, the entire gathering was in chaos as there was a police raid on the premises and everyone was in a panic as consuming alcohol was a taboo and a grave crime in the Islamic nation.
“Suddenly, Imran Khan stepped up, picked up the phone, dialled a number and uttered just two sentences and handed the receiver to the police inspector,” recalls the journalist.
“After talking to the person on the other side, the inspector, with an ashen face, just rounded up his men and left, after saying sorry to Imran Khan. It turned out that Imran Khan had called up General Zia-ul Haq, then Pakistan President, and got everything sorted.”
That was Imran Khan’s reach and power in Pakistan – he was the undisputed captain, their greatest all-rounder, a man who had picked the likes of Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis virtually from the streets, mentored them and turned them into great international cricketers.
He was a terror on the field and the players were scared of him. He was a ‘dictator’ in Pakistan cricket.
His aura grew further as he led Pakistan to the ODI World Cup title in 1992 in Australia, which turned him into a legend, a national hero who is still revered for his exploits on the cricket field.
A sauve and stylish Oxford graduate and a charismatic leader, a fiery fast bowler and a brilliant tactician and man-manager, Imran Khan had a great influence on Pakistan’s cricket community.
It was this reverence that propelled Imran Khan’s political career and eventually resulted in his ascend to the throne as Pakistan’s Prime Minister from 2018 to 2022, earning him support from the common people as he led his party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to power. However, his party lost power when he was removed following a successful no-confidence motion moved by the opposition alliance in 2022.
While Imran Khan presently faces the biggest challenge in his political career following his arrest on May 9 that triggered mayhem in the country, he is still revered by Pakistan’s cricket fraternity.
While his former teammates Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Ramiz Raza have voiced their support for Imran Khan and condemned his arrest, especially the way their former skipper was dragged through the court premises by Pakistan Rangers, and bundled into a police van, most of the current stars have kept mum on the entire issue.
The reactions have mostly appeared on social media.
Former Pakistan star Mohammad Hafeez called it a “painful” and “condemnable act”.
“You are one man but have the strength of millions. Stay strong skipper. #BehindYouSkipper,” Wasim Akram said in his tweet,
Akram’s pace twin and partner-in-crime-turned foe, Waqar Younis, too was unequivocal in his support for his former captain.
Soon after Imran’s arrest, Waqar Younis shared a video of the incident in which Imran could be seen dragged by security forces into a police van and wrote: “Right behind you skipper. Injustice at the end produces independence. More power to you @ImranKhanPTI. Let’s protect our leader & freedom #PakistanZindabad.”
Another former Pakistan pacer, Shoaib Akhtar, too came in support of Imran and called for protecting the country’s national heroes.
“It’s a heart-wrenching visual to see our national hero @ImranKhanPTI being manhandled this way. Considering he’s injured and has countless services for Pakistan. Where are we heading towards? Show some respect to our national heroes plz,” wrote Akhtar in a tweet.
Ramiz Raza, a former teammate of Imran who was made Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief by his former captain, tweeted a video of the attest with the words “Magnificent Valor @ImranKhanPTI” in all caps.
However, there has been no reaction from Wahab Riaz, who was last week appointed Advisor to the Chief Minister Punjab for sports and youth affairs, nor from star cricketer Shahid Afridi, who was considered close to Imran and a supporter of his government.
The current team members such as skipper Babar Azam, Mohammed Riaz, Fakar Zaman and others too have kept mum on the issue.
However, soon after Imran’s arrest, pace bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi had called for peace, telling people to “just remember” that they are there “because of Pakistan”.
Though Imran has been freed on Pakistan Supreme Count’s order, which termed the arrest as illegal, the last word is yet to be heard on multiple corruption charges levelled against Imran and people are still awaiting the final outcome of the entire saga.
However, the reaction from the cricket community is clear that Imran is still revered and respected by them and idolised as the captain who led Pakistan cricket to glory in the 1992 World Cup.
It is clear that most of them are concerned by how he was arrested and consider it as a political vendetta, whether they are vocal or not on the issue.
–IANS
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