This T20 World Cup has been amazing for Pakistan and not just because of the way the team is playing cricket.
This year’s squad has shown us the true meaning of sportsmanship and grace. They have exhibited time and time again that the sport is about more than winning matches — it’s about winning hearts.
Their recent win against Namibia secured them a place in the semi-finals and the team celebrated by going to the Namibia dressing room to congratulate the players on their World Cup journey.
We got to see heartwarming moments like Lahore Qalandar teammates Shaheen Afridi and David Wiese hugging it out and The Professor, Muhammad Hafeez, giving batsman Craig Williams tips on gloves. There were selfies, smiles and hugs and it was super wholesome.
Namibia also thanked the Pakistanis for their visit. People have been all praises for the gesture, including Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif. In fact, most Pakistanis have heart eyes when it comes to the cricket team right now.
But what we love most about these gestures, small though they may be, is that they’re showing everyone that Pakistan is a force to be reckoned with, on and off the field.
In fact, the humility with which the Pakistan team has gone into this year’s T20 World Cup has won hearts all over.
While Pakistanis are always proud of the Men in Green, it seems that this year, the team has found new fans across the globe.
People praised the gesture as a brilliant display of sportsmanship. Another moment that drew praise, albeit far less than the dressing room visit, was when Frylinck slipped and both Babar and Rizwan went to check on him.
If there’s one thing we’ve learned from this tournament and should take away from it, it’s that sportsmanship and kindness is greater than any victory, be it Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni meeting and hugging the Pakistani players after losing to them in the World Cup or the Pakistan team visiting the Namibian dressing room.
In fact, this year’s squad has been praised for their overall demeanours and comments in general.
