I was not fortunate enough to get tickets for Pakistan matches during the world cup in 1999 and hence missed out on what I was told was an electric atmosphere in all the grounds. Sure enough this time I have managed to secure tickets for a number of games and have seen Pakistan play accross the coutnry. To say I have been shocked by the level of support Pakistan receives would be an understatement.
For those who have not been at the matches, let me quickly paint you the scene. Edgbaston I consider to have housed the most hostile crowd, when Pakistan thrashed England by 108 runs. I was in a stand housing approx. 4000 Pakistani’s, most had their faces painted, blew their horns and waved the flag. When Pakistan were playing you could have been mistaken for thinking it was a world cup final. Every run, every single was cheered as if it had won the match. Every ball beating a player outside the off stump celebrated as if a wicket had been taken.
The support here is fanatical and extreme. The atmosphere is always highly charged and combatative. Pakistan’s support in England is probably the best it gets anywhere in the world, including within Pakistan itself.
The question is simple - WHY?