Rooting for Afghanistan and India: A 2023 World Cup Perspective

People are talking a lot on social media about what happened at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad when India played Pakistan. Some people are calling it "Islamophobia" because the crowd chanted "Jai Shri Ram." But what they're not talking about is that when Afghanistan played England, they got cheered by the crowd too, even though they are also Muslim. The Afghanistan team doesn't show their religion as much as the Pakistan team does.

The Pakistan team has been very open about their religion, and they got support in Hyderabad and a warm welcome in Ahmedabad. So, why are people making a big deal about it on social media?

The crowd at Ahmedabad joined in when the DJ played "Jai Shri Ram," but they also sang and danced to other songs. Some people chanted "Jai Shri Ram" when a Pakistani player, Mohammad Rizwan, was leaving the field. Rizwan has shown his religion on the field before, offering prayers during a match in Hyderabad.

Rizwan even dedicated a win to "brothers and sisters in Gaza" after a terrorist attack. Rizwan and the Pakistan team mix cricket with religion, which some people find problematic. Even former Pakistani cricketer Danish Kaneria, who is Hindu, spoke out about this.

The crowd also booed some Pakistani players like Babar Azam and Harris Rauf. Booing is a way for fans to express themselves in sports, just like cheering.

Sachin Tendulkar, a legendary Indian cricketer, was also booed by his home crowd in Mumbai when he didn't perform well in a match. Does that mean people hate him?

What were people expecting in Ahmedabad? Cheers for their arch-rivals in a competitive World Cup cricket match? That's not how it works.

Worse things have happened in Pakistan when India has played there, like Indian players being attacked and pelted with stones by the crowd.

By the way, there were some spectators who clapped when Babar scored fifty runs in Ahmedabad. They were supporting Pakistan in blue clothes and holding the Indian tricolor.

A cricket match against Pakistan is not just a game; it means a lot to fans from both sides. It's not the same as any other cricket match.

Pakistan has sponsored terrorism and harbored criminals wanted by India, which is why we don't play bilateral cricket with them. Despite all this, we have treated them well when they visit for multi-team tournaments. What more do people expect from us? Do we have to go out of our way to be nice to them?

Social media can easily create false stories for political reasons and attention, and many of the people talking about this weren't even at the stadium to see what really happened.

I was there, and I can tell you that there was no Islamophobia. It was just a passionate India vs. Pakistan cricket match with a lot of emotions.