Former Pakistan cricket captain Shahid Afridi
Pakistan and India international cricketers Shahid Afridi and Wasim Jaffer have said that Qatar will host a memorable 2022 FIFA World Cup, with the country’s infrastructure and passion for the sport being the main contributing factors.
Talking exclusively to www.sc.qa on the sidelines of a festival cricket match between World Stars XI and Qatar Stars XI in Labour City, the cricket stars extended their best wishes to Qatar as the country prepares for the first ever FIFA World Cup in the Middle East.
The event at Doha’s Asian Town Cricket Stadium, witnessed by about 12,000 cheering South Asian cricket fans, was jointly arranged by Doha-based sports events organisers Pro Event and the UK-based International Cricketers Association. Together, the Indian and Pakistani resident communities account for nearly 900,000 of Qatar’s population, and the two South Asian nations are powerhouses in cricket with a total of three ICC Cricket World Cup triumphs between them – India winning in 1983 and 2011 and Pakistan in 1992.
Pakistan’s charismatic former captain Afridi, who captained his nation at the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup, said: “It is a great honour for Qatar and all its residents that the country will be hosting an event of the magnitude of the FIFA World Cup. Qatar and the Middle East are passionate about football and there is no doubt the tournament will be a memorable occasion because of this.
“I hope all the countries who qualify for the World Cup will enjoy the culture and hospitality of Qatar and the region. My best wishes to the Supreme Committee as they prepare to organise a truly great tournament.”
Former opening batsman Jaffer, who played 31 Tests between 2000 and 2008, believes the FIFA World Cup will add to Qatar’s impressive record of organising sporting events. “Doha hosted the 2011 AFC Asian Cup and, of course, it stages key global tennis events every year,” he said.
“The country has fantastic facilities and I am sure the SC will build marvelous stadiums for the World Cup. The Middle East’s passion for football will mean the 2022 FIFA World Cup will be a successful event which unites the region.”
“A lot of people from my city, Mumbai, travelled to South Africa in 2010 and an even greater number will be in Qatar as the country is geographically closer.”
Jaffer, who has the distinction of being the leading run-scorer in Ranji Trophy, India’s domestic five-day cricket competition, also said that the 2022 FIFA World Cup will be a great opportunity to bring cultures together.
“Sport will bring nations and people together,” he said. “I have played with and against people of many nationalities and from my experience there is no animosity among players and fans.”
Fans at the stadium echoed Jaffer’s sentiments. Urwais Iqbal, a Doha-based public relations professional from New Delhi, said: “I am a proud Indian but I am here to support the game of cricket. I love watching Shahid Afridi play. Cricket unites Indians and Pakistanis living in Doha and I am sure the FIFA World Cup 2022 will have a similar effect.”
Amanullah Khan, who hails from Peshawar in Pakistan and works as a driver in Doha, said: “Shahid Afridi is the king of my hometown and I am here to watch him. But I also like a lot of Indian cricketers. Cricket unifies the people of Pakistan and India, just as football unites the countries of the Middle East.”
Former South African batsman Herschelle Gibbs, whose home nation hosted the FIFA World Cup in 2010, praised Qatar’s legacy plans.
“The tournament will be great for Qatar’s economy. It will be also be an occasion to showcase the country to the world, similar to how South Africa did in 2010,” said Gibbs, who represented his nation in 90 Test matches between 1996 and 2008.
