Why I (almost) want Pakistan to win in Mohali

I think one of the most wonderful things to happen in the 2011 Cricket World Cup so far has been the manner in which the Bangladeshi crowd at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium in Mirpur wholeheartedly cheered for Pakistan in their quarter-final demolition of the West Indies. Given the history between the two nations, this is hardly a trivial thing, as Pakistanis themselves have appreciated (e.g., see this post, and in particular the heart-warming comments below it). It is testament to the power of sport to unite; after all, cricket in the subcontinent has long been much more than just a game, and has always been tied to issues of politics and identity. India's first influential cricket tournament, the Bombay Quadrangular, began in 1912 and was organised along communal lines, with the four teams being the Europeans, Parsis, Hindus and Muslims. Gandhiji realised that this fit into the broader divide-and-rule strategy of the British Raj and wanted to get rid of the communal aspect, but such were the passions aroused by the tournament that it was not until 1946 that it was abandoned, having laid the foundations for cricketing loyalties in the subcontinent to serve as powerful symbols of ethnicity.

So what does this have to do with the India-Pakistan semifinal in Mohali? I know this is blasphemous, but a part of me can't help hoping for a Pakistani victory. Imagine the prospect of Pakistan playing in the final in Mumbai, cheered on by an Indian crowd! It has happened before; I remember that wonderful test match at Chennai in 1999, when the winning Pakistan team got a standing ovation from the crowd. More recently, the Pakistani contingent at the Commonwealth games in Delhi got a big cheer at the opening ceremony. If Pakistan were to lift the world cup to the cheers of the great city of Mumbai, with all its recent history, what a powerful message that could send to help heal the wounds between our two estranged nations!

But, you ask, what about the disappointment of the passionate Punjabi crowd at Mohali, and the heartbreak of a billion Indians? What about the dream of seeing Sachin lift the world cup in front of his home crowd? That's why I said 'almost'---my Indian identity will not allow me to go any further. Next Wednesday, my loyalties will naturally be with India; but somewhere inside me, a small voice will be cheering for Pakistan.