Pak hockey team rooted for India against Aus

By: Ashwin Ferro

Pakistan’s star hockey player Rehan Butt has been involved in numerous tension-filled Indo-Pak hockey clashes given he’s a veteran of nearly 250 international caps across a career spanning two decades. But even he agrees that Wednesday’s India-Pakistan World Cup cricket match will be one of the biggest sporting encounters between the two countries in recent times.

“Sure, India played Pakistan in the 2007 World T20 final, but that was different. This is the semi-final of the World Cup — cricket’s biggest prize. There’s a lot at stake here,” Rehan told MiD DAY from his home in Lahore yesterday.

In fact, according to Butt it’s not just the billion-plus Indian population that was rooting for MS Dhoni & Co in the World Cup quarter-final against the Australian’s on Thursday. Neighbours, Pakistan too, were cheering for India. “Indians and Pakistanis are lovers of cricket and hockey ¦ they will travel miles to watch a good competitive cricket or hockey match. It’s no wonder then that yesterday the whole of Pakistan was supporting India because they want to see an Indo-Pak match,” added the hardworking midfielder, who guided Pakistan to the Asian Games gold medal in Guangzhou, China last year.

Butt revealed another reason why Pakistan were cheering for India on Thursday. “Sachin Tendulkar a craze here. In fact, the fans here do not consider him to be a foreigner. He’s as good as one of our own,” added the 31-year-old.

Speaking of Wednesday’s potential potboiler, Butt said it will be a great advertisement Indo-Pak relations more than anything else. “The politically inflicted wounds across both countries notwithstanding, sport has always played perfect healer. And Wednesday will be no different. India and Pakistan will showcase their sporting supremacy to the world and it honestly doesn’t matter which team emerges victorious,” said Butt.

However there will be quite a few nervous faces in both camps, said Butt. “There is so much passion in an Indo-Pak encounter — be it hockey or cricket — that nerves are bound to play an important role. It’s the kind of clash that can make or break careers. Players don’t sleep before an Indo-Pak battle. I know because I’ve spent many a sleepless night,” added Butt, whose been on the losing side of an Indo-Pak hockey match twice in recent times (at the 2010 World Cup in March last year followed by the Commonwealth games in New Delhi in October).

So who does he think will win on Wednesday? “As badly as I want Pakistan to win, I think India hold the edge though. The Indian batting line up is just too strong. But then again, anything can happen in an Indo-Pak battle,” he signed off.