Cricket is the common language, the unifying thread that binds our entire nation together. I know people in Pakistan, Sri Lanka and various other countries feel the same. The lull when our team is losing and the euphoria when we are close to victory seep through the entire nation's consciousness.
Even though I wish I was in India to celebrate our team winning the World Championship, the passion was no less here in the Bay Area. All night vigils for every match were taking place in the Community Center. The match would begin at 2:00 a.m. but from midnight, the dancing and dhols would begin. The night would begin with beer and end up with endless cups of chai and hundreds of people flocked to the community center to watch the matches. Indian flags of all sizes dominated the landscape and the color blue was prevalent. Chanting and cheering was constant.
One of the most overwhelming things was singing the National anthem together (something that I have not done since I left India in 2003). From then till the end of the match, each moment was punctuated with collective gasps, cheers, sighs - a mere echo of an entire nation holding its breath.
I loved seeing so many Pakistanis in India during the India-Pakistan match. It was so great to see cordial relationships between the players and audiences. Despite both the nations' hunger to win, the aura was relaxed and the environment was of one of mutual support. Shahid Afridi won everyone's hearts by his honest and humble words and of course by his talent on the field. My heart went out to the talented Pakistani team (there were so many really young players and they were just incredible!).
This spirit of mutual respect and appreciation has characterized all the matches this time. I know cricket is not just a game for us. But it doesn't need to become a war. Even as it brings us together as a nation, it is not necessary to alienate other nations. So the Hindu v/s Muslims rubbish in the India-Pakistan match and the Ram v/s Ravan crap in the India-Sri Lanka matches was just ridiculous. The people who propagate such hatred are undermining the positivity and hope that our cricket team brings to us.
We really saw some wonderful cricket in the World Cup. The matches were nail-biting, exciting and the teams poured their hearts and souls into the games. Today I just feel so incredibly proud of our team for struggling against the best teams in the world and coming on top. Their fighting spirit is and will continue to be an inspiration to us all.
Thank you to the our amazing team for bringing us the World Cup. In this moment we can forget everything else and just revel in the feeling of being the World Champions. Thank you for all that you have given us; words can never explain how the nation feels right now...
Even though I wish I was in India to celebrate our team winning the World Championship, the passion was no less here in the Bay Area. All night vigils for every match were taking place in the Community Center. The match would begin at 2:00 a.m. but from midnight, the dancing and dhols would begin. The night would begin with beer and end up with endless cups of chai and hundreds of people flocked to the community center to watch the matches. Indian flags of all sizes dominated the landscape and the color blue was prevalent. Chanting and cheering was constant.
One of the most overwhelming things was singing the National anthem together (something that I have not done since I left India in 2003). From then till the end of the match, each moment was punctuated with collective gasps, cheers, sighs - a mere echo of an entire nation holding its breath.
I loved seeing so many Pakistanis in India during the India-Pakistan match. It was so great to see cordial relationships between the players and audiences. Despite both the nations' hunger to win, the aura was relaxed and the environment was of one of mutual support. Shahid Afridi won everyone's hearts by his honest and humble words and of course by his talent on the field. My heart went out to the talented Pakistani team (there were so many really young players and they were just incredible!).
This spirit of mutual respect and appreciation has characterized all the matches this time. I know cricket is not just a game for us. But it doesn't need to become a war. Even as it brings us together as a nation, it is not necessary to alienate other nations. So the Hindu v/s Muslims rubbish in the India-Pakistan match and the Ram v/s Ravan crap in the India-Sri Lanka matches was just ridiculous. The people who propagate such hatred are undermining the positivity and hope that our cricket team brings to us.
We really saw some wonderful cricket in the World Cup. The matches were nail-biting, exciting and the teams poured their hearts and souls into the games. Today I just feel so incredibly proud of our team for struggling against the best teams in the world and coming on top. Their fighting spirit is and will continue to be an inspiration to us all.
Thank you to the our amazing team for bringing us the World Cup. In this moment we can forget everything else and just revel in the feeling of being the World Champions. Thank you for all that you have given us; words can never explain how the nation feels right now...
