“Because cricket is played
largely in the mind… it can
imprint the character of that
nation indelibly upon the
minds of those who watch.”
-Sir John Major
religiosity, questioning time and again the captain’s
frequent reference to Islam and ‘Almighty Allah’
and the team’s collective prayers. And yet very little
is made of the Buddhist ceremonies that often
precede Sri Lanka’s important tours.
Religion, however, played a very positive role,
instilling discipline in ‘a disparate team’, in the
words of Omar Kureishi. When Inzamam-ul-Haq
dominated the cricket team as a captain, his quickly
spreading religious influence in the team was
obvious. Bob Woolmer, the South African ex-coach
of Pakistan, who had frequently complained about
the constant and lengthy prayer sessions that the
team held, later discarded his earlier remarks
because on closer examination he found that
praying together was greatly beneficial for team
unity and spirit. It also involved that there would be
no disciplinary problems as the team refrained (with
one notable exception) from attending after-parties
and night clubs, avoided razzmatazz associated
with sporting cars, slept early and were bright-eyed
and fit in the morning. The negative effect that the
growing influence of religion in Pakistani cricket
had was that it increased the teams ‘otherness’
from rival teams, mostly due to stereotypes held by
others and partly due to Pakistani players not being
able to partake in activities such as ‘traditional’ end
of play drinks.
Overall, a cultural mismatch (including language)
appears far more prominent than the mediaoverhyped religious element. After Inzamam’s
retirement the role of religion has almost vanished
and above all, the greatest disadvantage has been
the decline in cohesion in discipline within the
team.
Reflections in sports
It can be said that a country’s history, politics and
character is reflected in the cricket team. Prior to
1947, India and Pakistan were one team. Now as
three different countries, does their cricket reflect
their varying socio-political and cultural influences
that have shaped their national identity? Yes,
partially. But then there are other influences at work
in this respect. For instance the extraordinary role
of the cricket team’s captain, which is far greater
than in any other sport. According to Ali Khan, a
Pakistan-based sports journalist, ‘Imran Khan’s
imprint on cricket was spectacular and imperious
but perhaps not typical of the Pakistan psyche’.
Cricket in Pakistan reflects the country’s
political, cultural and social environment. Again
in the words of Ali Khan: ‘This is evident with
its lack of focus on education, its political
experience of dictatorial military rule for most
of its 63-year-old history (as contrasted with
neighboring India’s consistent democracy), its
religious orientation as opposed to secular
influences of India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh,
the degree of corruption that currently
pervades its