Cricket: Not just a game after all.
Confinement is merely in one's mind because one can find anything that they look for if the intentions are pure. I was in a need to find the meaning of my life. With the enormous support of my friends and family, there were certainly some more things that made me able to grasp beyond the walls of my house.
Cricket which might be just a game for a few people but it was not just a game from me as it helped me get a direction out of the darkness that prevailed my life at that time. I first fell in love with this game in the year 2009, when Younis Khan brought the T20 World Cup Trophy home. He was and still remains my favorite cricketer although he was later joined by Misbah Ul Haq in my favorite cricketers' league. When I went in for my surgery, I still remember the world cup 2011 was going on and my mind was struck by a very important match Pakistan was playing that day. It dimmed the effect of a very hard event that was going on in my life. The semi-final of that particular world cup was between Pakistan and India, I clearly remember the hype that was created by the media. This was the time when I was prescribed to lie straight on my back so that any sort of uneven movement would not affect the spine. I enjoyed the semifinal lying straight on my back but even then I remember each and every detail of that match. The physical confinement could not control my inner excitement. Like all the Pakistanis, I was also agitated with the performance of our team but still at the end of the match I was very glad because I witnessed a very historical and extraordinary match that gave me a time of my life.
It may sound weird but cricket gives me and notable adrenaline rush which makes me very happy. I feel the sense of excitement flowing through my body when I watch a very nail-biting match. Till date, a nerve-wracking batting performance and a ferocious bowling spell can cheer me up anytime. I can still recall an occasion when I was very upset due to something that happened that particular day but there was a match going on between South Africa & Pakistan and AB de Villiers came to bat. He was in a tremendous form and played an outstanding inning that consisted of some brilliant hitting. Anyone who follows cricket would be familiar with his 360° shot and he crafted a perfect 360° shot that day. Good cricketing shots really make me feel energetic and enthusiastic.
This game helped me out when I was finding something to hold onto in order to move forward and it really gave me an opportunity to share my thoughts on the social media where many people with similar interests were present and I made some great friends with the help of this magnificent game. Some friends that I have never ever met in my life but still they know the most of my secrets and I can share my life's ongoings with them anytime. Tweeting live during the matches gave me a sense of direction about my writing passion. I loved debating and social media give me a proper platform to discuss the topic that I loved the most: cricket. I could share my reservation regarding the selection of some player or discuss a certain game strategy by the captain. There were people who agreed with my opinion and obviously some disagreed but my indulgence in healthy conversations provided the much-required confidence that was lacking in me at that time. The people who disagreed with me got me thinking and I thank them today because they made me realize that I can also have an opinion and defend it with arguments. For instance my never-ending debate over Misbah Ul Haq's abilities and achievements where I was always on the side which was defending the Tuk Tuk. Obviously, he silenced the haters with his performances later on but the feeling that my opinion was correct made me feel so liberated and so I thank Misbah Ul Haq for his exceptional performances because his performance made me feel so good about myself.
My love for this game is so paramount that it still remains in my heart because it gave me the passion that led to my resurgence. It may a game for everyone but for me, it was more than that!
When you're recovering from an event that changed your life forever you don't really strategize for it. Moving on is not easy but it is not impossible either when you really want to go forward. In a span of 2 months my life was changed drastically and now I had to mould myself into the newly inflicted changes in my life. The road was very dark and full of hurdles but I could see light at the end of the tunnel because that is how it's supposed to be and if it's not then there is something still remaining to happen. My belief relied upon The Almighty so I never thought that I was alone in my journey. I used to talk to myself at night and acquaint myself every day that the Almighty is very great and there is surely a very bright light waiting at the end of this dark tunnel, the journey might be difficult and full of obstacles but the bright ray at the end of the tunnel is worth the fight. I am still on the road, the journey is still ongoing and the hurdles still exist but the hope is what keeps me going.
Sometimes in life when you are feeling lost and you cannot comprehend anything due to the darkness in your life, the only thing that you need is a direction and it may be acquainted with you in any way, just look for it. There is definitely light at the end of the tunnel, we just need to look more frantically because that light is divinely guided to lead us out of the darkness. God never burdens the soul more than it can bear so if you're going through some adversity just think that God knew that you can go through this with the strength that you have. All we need to do is try our level best to be positive and thank him for His bounties that He bequeaths upon us every day because sometimes we forget that His mercy is majestic. Take a good look around and try to figure His blessings, even if we figure for the rest of our lives we won't be able to count His blessings that He bestows upon us.
Cricket which might be just a game for a few people but it was not just a game from me as it helped me get a direction out of the darkness that prevailed my life at that time. I first fell in love with this game in the year 2009, when Younis Khan brought the T20 World Cup Trophy home. He was and still remains my favorite cricketer although he was later joined by Misbah Ul Haq in my favorite cricketers' league. When I went in for my surgery, I still remember the world cup 2011 was going on and my mind was struck by a very important match Pakistan was playing that day. It dimmed the effect of a very hard event that was going on in my life. The semi-final of that particular world cup was between Pakistan and India, I clearly remember the hype that was created by the media. This was the time when I was prescribed to lie straight on my back so that any sort of uneven movement would not affect the spine. I enjoyed the semifinal lying straight on my back but even then I remember each and every detail of that match. The physical confinement could not control my inner excitement. Like all the Pakistanis, I was also agitated with the performance of our team but still at the end of the match I was very glad because I witnessed a very historical and extraordinary match that gave me a time of my life.
It may sound weird but cricket gives me and notable adrenaline rush which makes me very happy. I feel the sense of excitement flowing through my body when I watch a very nail-biting match. Till date, a nerve-wracking batting performance and a ferocious bowling spell can cheer me up anytime. I can still recall an occasion when I was very upset due to something that happened that particular day but there was a match going on between South Africa & Pakistan and AB de Villiers came to bat. He was in a tremendous form and played an outstanding inning that consisted of some brilliant hitting. Anyone who follows cricket would be familiar with his 360° shot and he crafted a perfect 360° shot that day. Good cricketing shots really make me feel energetic and enthusiastic.
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| Image courtesy Samaa TV. |
My love for this game is so paramount that it still remains in my heart because it gave me the passion that led to my resurgence. It may a game for everyone but for me, it was more than that!
When you're recovering from an event that changed your life forever you don't really strategize for it. Moving on is not easy but it is not impossible either when you really want to go forward. In a span of 2 months my life was changed drastically and now I had to mould myself into the newly inflicted changes in my life. The road was very dark and full of hurdles but I could see light at the end of the tunnel because that is how it's supposed to be and if it's not then there is something still remaining to happen. My belief relied upon The Almighty so I never thought that I was alone in my journey. I used to talk to myself at night and acquaint myself every day that the Almighty is very great and there is surely a very bright light waiting at the end of this dark tunnel, the journey might be difficult and full of obstacles but the bright ray at the end of the tunnel is worth the fight. I am still on the road, the journey is still ongoing and the hurdles still exist but the hope is what keeps me going.
Sometimes in life when you are feeling lost and you cannot comprehend anything due to the darkness in your life, the only thing that you need is a direction and it may be acquainted with you in any way, just look for it. There is definitely light at the end of the tunnel, we just need to look more frantically because that light is divinely guided to lead us out of the darkness. God never burdens the soul more than it can bear so if you're going through some adversity just think that God knew that you can go through this with the strength that you have. All we need to do is try our level best to be positive and thank him for His bounties that He bequeaths upon us every day because sometimes we forget that His mercy is majestic. Take a good look around and try to figure His blessings, even if we figure for the rest of our lives we won't be able to count His blessings that He bestows upon us.
Best, best, best write-up of yours! Just how relatable is this? The connection between your recovery, your ability to cope with things, your journey and cricket is so, so relatable. What I loved here is that whereas the rest burn effigies of the players at a defeat, you rejoice in the fact that you could enjoy a close game, an exciting contest. This is so me - this is so us! When at home and amidst my friends they slit their wrist at a one-run defeat, I thank the Almighty for the excitement that the match created. The same happens when the German team plays soccer, and I think this is down to your (or our) ability to value hard-work and efforts more than the result. My friends often feel irritated at this attitude of mine and shake their head at how could anyone ever be rejoicing at a heart-breaking loss like this. Also, this is down to our ability to see the purpose of sports beyond the results, and this also results in ourselves being able to appreciate and clap for a good performance even from the opposition.
ReplyDeleteAnd like in your case in in Misbah, I found my redemption in the career of MS Dhoni. His performances and success kind of kept proving me admiration right as it wasn´t easy to support an Indian player being a Pakistani - you were always going to be held accountable for his good and bad performances alike. So yes, cricket has played an integral part even in my life. Less for the craziness over results, but more for the excitement that it provides. It gave me and my energy a direction right from my childhood to this day. I even have funny coincidences to relate. For example, the first time a girl expressed her feelings for me, Dhoni celebrated it with an ODI century against Australia later in the day, and the second time a girl entered my life he again celebrated by winning the Champions Trophy weeks later in 2013. When I was recovering from a fractured right upper-arm, Dhoni healed it with his career best ODI score of 183* and as a bonus won himself the Man of the Series award. When I was discharged from the hospital after a very testing spring in 2010, MS won the Asia Cup. And, if I may add, when a girl expressed the desire to marry me for the second time ever, MS celebrated it with the birth of his daughter Ziva - highly debatable though whether he knew it nine months beforehand!
The point basically is how very little things and brief moments of happiness can mean everything to some, and to see this is a blessing is a special favoured conferred upon on some people by God.
"I am still on the road, the journey is still ongoing and the hurdles still exist but the hope is what keeps me going", how beautifully put! Wonderful.
I am so happy to know that we share the same love for cricket and the excitement it brings in our lives. Thank you for all the kind words that give me the confidence to keep sharing my stories with everyone.
DeleteMore power to you. :) Hope to keep reading more of your writing
ReplyDeleteinshAllah thanks!!
DeleteA good read! I loved the diction and of course, foreseeing you as a shining writer of the times to come. By the way, after 1999 World Cup, I had a very bad image of cricket because of gambling and other stuff. But thank God that phase is over and cricket is once again a game.
ReplyDelete