Karachi. Its a beautiful city, hustling and bustling with energy, i personally rate it as a potential New York City. The people are generally nice, a very metropolitan mix of culture and a complete blend of Pakistan. The population of karachi could divided into 1000's of categories in castes, religon, language and poltical alliances but there is one common factor to everyone that Karachi provides food and shelter to all living in it and to many more living outside it, at all times.
Not literally, but in every other way possible, Karachi is the most fertile land of Pakistan. Be it 5mn, 10mn or 20mn living in the city or another 160mn living outside it, the machinery of this city is pulling the string of the national eceonomy hard and strong despite all the challanges (which i will happily avoid in this thread).
The other day, I was just wondering that what could unite karachiites under one banner. I was wondering that with so much good, why cannot we find somone who can symbolise Karachi. Somone who is loved by this city and somone who loves this city as much. Somone who is diverse, not from Karachi yet belongs here more than anywhere else, afterall Karachi is the mother of all immigrants, be it Iranians, Arabs hundreds of years ago, Indians, Balochs a few decades ago or Pathans and Punjabis some years ago. Though nothing came to my mind, and i stopped pondering, admitting my failure in the hunt for such a complex identity to symbolise.
Then later watcing a T20 game in England, I saw Shahid Afridi after a long time playing in a live game. I immediately halted my surfing and started watching the game, subconsiously deciding that I will switch the channel as soon as Afridi gets out, ( which i thought was not far away). He bat to double figures, with his ussual Wham, Bam, Thank You Mama Machismo,i thought its a matter of another ball, but he kept on siwinging his long arms and the ball kept sailing. He reached his 30's withing 15 balls, and I thought his wicket is already 15 runs over-due, but he wouldnt stop, some arial shots and some clueless misses. He reached his 50 in 25 balls and I felt lucky that I saw him play so well live, yet i knew he will get out next ball, but he didnt, he scored another 30 runs mustering some quick 80 runs in 40 odd balls. By far outperforming his peers.
And all of a sudden he reminded me of Karachi. Fruitful, Volatile, Depressing, Exciting, Dissapoiting, Surprising, BOOM BOOM and BANG BANG. Frankly, everyone of us would want Afridi to avg atleast 40 along with his over-100 strike rate, but again he is like Karachi, not perfect.
Not only the character of the City and Shahid, but the love they share with each other also draws comparisons. Afridi is a pathan who migrated to Karachi and played all his first class cricket from Karachi and his tape ball cricket from Gulshan (Karachi). As a cricketer he is as Karachitte as Hanif Mohammad, and more Karachiite than Javed Miandad, who moved to Lahore. Despite being a Pathan, there has never been a confusion about which city will he represent and lead. There is no doubt in his mind and in the mind of any other that in a Peshawar v/s Karachi game Afridi will be twisting his wrist around to make his adopted city proud.
His love for the City has been handsomely repaid as he is by far the most popular karachiite cricketer, perhaps ever. I have seen stadiums emptied when he gets out, regardless which local launda follows. Pathan, Mohajir, Kachi, Baloch, Memon, all kids like to spreads thier arms in a V like Afridi, ignoring the visible differences between the star and them.
The romance moves further and gets more complimented. The recent rift between the PCB and Afridi continues to be based on favouritism or preference of certain players by Afridi, namely, Fawad Alam, Shahzaid Hasan, Khalid Latif, Asad Shafiq and Sohail Khan. All of them play for Karachi. I will not go if it was right nor wrong or if they really deserve to be in the side. But Afridi put his neck out for his citi-mates. So much that he eventually retired. Fawad Alam critisizing the PCB for its action against Afridi, lost the central contract and his place in all form of cricket.
Again the love was not lost. It was natural that Afridi will return home to Karachi after his retirment. And there it was drums, Dhols cars and caravan and thousands of karachiites together. Mohajir, Pathan, Punjabi, Baloch, Young, Old, Man Women, even the third gender, Shia, Sunni, Muslim, Non Muslim. All were there to support his blue-eyed brother.
It is ironic that Pathan and Mohajirs are now poiting fingers at each other (atleast the political parties) for killing each other, for not excepting each other. When karachi's favourite son is a Pathan and he represent Karachi more than any political leader in Pakistan.
Not literally, but in every other way possible, Karachi is the most fertile land of Pakistan. Be it 5mn, 10mn or 20mn living in the city or another 160mn living outside it, the machinery of this city is pulling the string of the national eceonomy hard and strong despite all the challanges (which i will happily avoid in this thread).
The other day, I was just wondering that what could unite karachiites under one banner. I was wondering that with so much good, why cannot we find somone who can symbolise Karachi. Somone who is loved by this city and somone who loves this city as much. Somone who is diverse, not from Karachi yet belongs here more than anywhere else, afterall Karachi is the mother of all immigrants, be it Iranians, Arabs hundreds of years ago, Indians, Balochs a few decades ago or Pathans and Punjabis some years ago. Though nothing came to my mind, and i stopped pondering, admitting my failure in the hunt for such a complex identity to symbolise.
Then later watcing a T20 game in England, I saw Shahid Afridi after a long time playing in a live game. I immediately halted my surfing and started watching the game, subconsiously deciding that I will switch the channel as soon as Afridi gets out, ( which i thought was not far away). He bat to double figures, with his ussual Wham, Bam, Thank You Mama Machismo,i thought its a matter of another ball, but he kept on siwinging his long arms and the ball kept sailing. He reached his 30's withing 15 balls, and I thought his wicket is already 15 runs over-due, but he wouldnt stop, some arial shots and some clueless misses. He reached his 50 in 25 balls and I felt lucky that I saw him play so well live, yet i knew he will get out next ball, but he didnt, he scored another 30 runs mustering some quick 80 runs in 40 odd balls. By far outperforming his peers.
And all of a sudden he reminded me of Karachi. Fruitful, Volatile, Depressing, Exciting, Dissapoiting, Surprising, BOOM BOOM and BANG BANG. Frankly, everyone of us would want Afridi to avg atleast 40 along with his over-100 strike rate, but again he is like Karachi, not perfect.
Not only the character of the City and Shahid, but the love they share with each other also draws comparisons. Afridi is a pathan who migrated to Karachi and played all his first class cricket from Karachi and his tape ball cricket from Gulshan (Karachi). As a cricketer he is as Karachitte as Hanif Mohammad, and more Karachiite than Javed Miandad, who moved to Lahore. Despite being a Pathan, there has never been a confusion about which city will he represent and lead. There is no doubt in his mind and in the mind of any other that in a Peshawar v/s Karachi game Afridi will be twisting his wrist around to make his adopted city proud.
His love for the City has been handsomely repaid as he is by far the most popular karachiite cricketer, perhaps ever. I have seen stadiums emptied when he gets out, regardless which local launda follows. Pathan, Mohajir, Kachi, Baloch, Memon, all kids like to spreads thier arms in a V like Afridi, ignoring the visible differences between the star and them.
The romance moves further and gets more complimented. The recent rift between the PCB and Afridi continues to be based on favouritism or preference of certain players by Afridi, namely, Fawad Alam, Shahzaid Hasan, Khalid Latif, Asad Shafiq and Sohail Khan. All of them play for Karachi. I will not go if it was right nor wrong or if they really deserve to be in the side. But Afridi put his neck out for his citi-mates. So much that he eventually retired. Fawad Alam critisizing the PCB for its action against Afridi, lost the central contract and his place in all form of cricket.
Again the love was not lost. It was natural that Afridi will return home to Karachi after his retirment. And there it was drums, Dhols cars and caravan and thousands of karachiites together. Mohajir, Pathan, Punjabi, Baloch, Young, Old, Man Women, even the third gender, Shia, Sunni, Muslim, Non Muslim. All were there to support his blue-eyed brother.
It is ironic that Pathan and Mohajirs are now poiting fingers at each other (atleast the political parties) for killing each other, for not excepting each other. When karachi's favourite son is a Pathan and he represent Karachi more than any political leader in Pakistan.
