— AFP

'A beautiful day for Pakistan cricket': Fans ecstatic as Green Shirts achieve historic win vs India

Names from the cricketing world, politicians and everyday Pakistanis shower their praise on the team in emotional messages.
Published October 24, 2021

The Men in Green beat India by 10 wickets for the first time ever in World Cup history on Sunday night, and Twitter has exploded. While some gushed at the batting prowess of captain Babar Azam and his opening partner Mohammad Rizwan, others swooned at Shaheen Shah Afridi's explosive bowling spell.

Overall, the Green Shirts put up a flawless performance, giving them a solid start to the T20 World Cup tour.

Names from the cricketing world, politicians and everyday cricket-worshipping Pakistanis showered their praise on Babar Azam's men in emotion-filled messages.

Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ramiz Raja called the win "a proud moment for all Pakistanis".

"It’s the first one, the most magnificent one, but remember [the] journey has just begun," he tweeted.

Former fast-bowler Shoaib Akhtar said dismissing a strong Indian batting line-up was a "big achievement".

He urged the team to stay positive and "go in with the bat" in the matches to come.

Cricket statistician Mazher Arshad spoke for millions of Pakistanis when he called it "a beautiful day for Pakistan cricket".

He even proposed naming Babar Azam as "a national asset of Pakistan".

Prime Minister Imran Khan shared a picture on Twitter watching the match along with various other government figures and ministers, saying the entire nation was proud of the Pakistan team.

"Congratulations to the Pakistan Team [and] especially to Babar Azam who led from the front, as well as to the brilliant performances of Rizwan [and] Shaheen Afridi," he tweeted.

President Dr Arif Alvi also congratulated the team, calling the 10-wicket win a "total Wipeout".

Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa lauded the team's "outstanding performance and comprehensive win" against India, saying “Pakistan Cricket Team has made us all proud.”

Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari, meanwhile, noted that it was a "cool, calculated game".

In a light-hearted comment, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif while praising Pakistan said "the match was so good that there was no match between the two teams."

"What a convincing [and] resounding victory Team Pakistan! Well done champs," tweeted PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz.

PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari also tweeted his congratulations to the team.

Senator Faisal Javed Khan hailed the Pakistan team's "passion and professionalism", noting that they had kept India under pressure throughout the game.

Cricket editor Saj Sadiq highlighted Rizwan's splendid performance, noting that he had taken two catches and scored a half-century in what was his first-ever match against India.

Cricket journalist Aalia Rasheed said Azam and Rizwan had exhibited "the importance of non-boundaries runs" in their knocks.

"Aggression is not shown only through sixes," she wrote.

Meanwhile, activist and lawyer Jibran Nasir penned an emotional tribute to the team.

"Dear world you can try [to] keep the game out of Pakistan but you can't keep Pakistan out of the game. Pakistan is Cricket. Cricket is Pakistan," he tweeted.


Header image: Pakistan's team members celebrate their victory at the end of the Twenty20 World Cup match between India and Pakistan at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai on October 24. — AFP