Spirit of cricket defies threats as PSL resumes in Rawalpindi

“Sir, why isn’t the match happening?” a player asked the team manager.

“It’s because India carried out a drone attack outside the stadium,” came the reply.

“To hell with them! We’re not afraid. Please convey our message to the authorities — we’re ready to play,” the player said boldly. Hearing this, others joined in, chanting, “Yes, yes, we’re ready!”

Seeing this spirit, the manager was moved to tears and replied, “We have no problem playing, but we also have to think about the foreign players and the thousands of fans in the stadium. We can’t let a cowardly enemy do anything that could cause harm — that’s why the match was postponed.”

After that, you know what happened — initially, it was decided to shift the league to Dubai, but within a few hours, the decision was made to postpone it instead. After a ceasefire, the matches were rescheduled and have now resumed. The interruption occurred in Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium — and it was from there that PSL restarted.

What a beautiful sight it was — thousands of fans waving the national flag and enjoying the match. As they danced to patriotic songs, the world realized that Pakistanis are peace-loving people who are passionate about sports. But if provoked, we don’t spare our enemies. The PCB made a great gesture by dedicating the initial matches to the armed forces — it is thanks to them that we were able to give India a befitting reply, making Pakistanis all over the world proud.

India deliberately sent a drone over Rawalpindi Stadium to once again disrupt sports in Pakistan by targeting cricket. But what happened instead? The IPL in India came to a halt. Players got scared and left; some didn’t even return. Others were pressured with threats of canceled future contracts to make them stay. India’s mental decline is clear from the absurd fake news it spread — including a photoshopped image of a destroyed Rawalpindi Stadium that made the world laugh.

When Pakistan downed Indian aircraft, it provided proof to the world. India, on the other hand, made itself a joke by circulating false stories. Australian pacer Mitchell Starc refused to go to India, but his countryman David Warner had no hesitation in returning to Pakistan. He wasn’t threatened with exclusion if he didn’t come — and with no shortage of money, Warner, as captain of Karachi Kings, is emotionally invested in the league and fully trusts Pakistani security.

I frequently talk to many foreign players, and most say they are treated better in Pakistan than anywhere else. Whether it’s Lahore Qalandars’ Sameen and Atif Rana, Quetta Gladiators’ Nadeem Omar, Hasan Nadeem Omar, or Azam Khan, Peshawar Zalmi’s Javed Afridi or Mohammad Akram, Karachi Kings’ Salman Iqbal or Haider Azhar, or Islamabad United’s Rehan ul Haq or Multan Sultans’ Ali Tareen — all of them treat players like royalty. Our security agencies provide them head-of-state level protection. Whether they perform well or not, they are always supported. That’s why once a player joins the PSL, they have no hesitation in returning.

Yes, India may offer more money — but here, they also get love and friendship. Take Sikandar Raza, for instance — he took time out of a packed schedule to come to Pakistan. Such commitment is rare in any other league.

Initially, there were doubts that big names might not come — but now look, many top cricketers are here. The PCB also deserves credit. Mohsin Naqvi, despite his busy schedule as Interior Minister, managed cricket affairs excellently. He is a true all-rounder who handles multiple fronts with success — perhaps that’s why he’s admired by the country’s most powerful personalities.

He oversaw PSL matters efficiently and made key decisions. CEO Salman Naseer worked tirelessly, day and night. On the media front, Aamir Mir, Rafiullah, and Raza Rashid kept things moving. Tasks that would’ve taken months were completed in hours, and Pakistan once again successfully resumed a competitive Super League.

India’s mentality is evident in how even my own Twitter (X) account was blocked in their country — and many other Pakistani accounts too. PCB and Lahore Qalandars had already faced such suspensions. But this won’t affect us. We would gladly sacrifice thousands of social media accounts for our country.

By silencing voices that speak the truth, India is promoting its own media, which, during the recent conflict, falsely reported an attack on Lahore “Port” — a place even Lahoris don’t know exists. According to Indian reports, they had also conquered Karachi! Let them keep fooling their people with a few movies. Thank God our country is not like that. Here, even during wartime, the truth is told — which is why the public still trusts the media.

Watching the liveliness return to Rawalpindi Stadium fills every Pakistani heart with joy. But while we celebrate victory, we must also remain alert. India fell into the very trap it dug for Pakistan. Now even its own citizens and international media are questioning its government. Next time, India will have to think a thousand times before attempting another misadventure.