Pakistan firmly in grip of cricket fever

Islamabad, Mar 29 (PTI) Pakistan was firmly in the
grip of cricket fever Tuesday, with people offering special
prayers for the success of their national team against
arch-rival India in the Cricket World Cup semi-final in
Mohali.
Across Pakistan, people offered special prayers for
the success of the Pakistani team led by Shahid Afridi.
Prayers were also organised by the minority Hindu and Sikh
communities.
TV channels turned to tarot card readers and
soothsayers to predict the outcome of the crucial Indo-Pak
match.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani announced that all
government offices would close at noon tomorrow so that people
could watch the Indian and Pakistani teams facing off at
Mohali in a game that will showcase one of the world's most
intense sporting rivalries.
Gilani will travel to Mohali Wednesday at the
invitation of his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh to watch
the match.
As the ubiquitous talk shows and news channels shifted
their focus to the semi-final and the cricket diplomacy
initiated by the Prime Ministers of the two countries, tarot
card readers, soothsayers and 'malangs' at Sufi shrines were
roped in to predict the outcome of the game that is expected
to be fiercely contested by the South Asian rivals.
The anticipation for the game diverted the people's
attention from the problems that have plagued the country for
the past few years, including terrorist attacks, spiralling
price rise and incessant power cuts.
Officials announced that strict action would be taken
against functionaries of power utilities if there were any
power outages during the game.
"All the streets will be empty by this time tomorrow
because everyone will head home to watch the match.
I plan to knock off from work early too," said taxi
driver Amin Jan as he made his way through the roads of
Islamabad this afternoon.
Others hailed the upcoming game as an opportunity to
highlight a softer image of Pakistan – one that had nothing to
do with the terrorism and extremism that has affected
thousands in the past few years.
"It's time to put the pedal to the metal and counter
extremism with culture. The terrorists hate cricket and music!
Time to pump up the volume!" Salman Ahmad, the musician best
known as the front man of the band Junoon, posted on the
micro-blogging site Twitter.
Ahmad's timely tweets on the cricket World Cup have
already added to his substantial following on the site.
Pakistan was one of the original hosts of the World
Cup but was stripped of its matches after pro-Taliban
militants attacked the Sri Lankan team near Lahore's Gaddafi
stadium in March 2009.