‘India feels like home,’ confesses Pakistan hockey captain Zeeshan Ashraf, in a conversation straight from the ground
On his 32nd birthday, Zeeshan Ashraf, the captain of the Pakistan hockey team, played the opening match against India at the World Cup. He would have liked to gift himself a match win, but could not. However, that has not dampened his spirits. Team Pakistan might have managed just a solitary goal against India’s four in a match that was completely dominated by Team India, but Zeeshan says Pakistan is a team that can’t be underestimated”.
Excerpts from an interview:
You wanted to win against India in the opening match. It was supposed to have been your birthday gift to yourself?
Yes, certainly. It would have been a lovely gift had we won, but there can be more gifts like that in the later matches. We have a lot of matches left and Inshaallah, we’ll play better. I will consider the next wins as my belated birthday gift.
Did India prove to be a better side?
India played really well. There are no two ways about it. Their aggression was so in-your-face. It always feels good to play against a competitive team. We tried our best, but they played better. It was their day; India had the full support of the home crowd. However, one match does not make or break a team. Yes, an opening match is always important and India won it, which gives them a moral edge and confidence. But, we’ll pull up our socks because we know that we will have to give 200 per cent to all the matches henceforth. I hope we do well in our next match against India.
There’s been news about an Al-Qaeda threat, followed by security concerns for Pakistani players at the Hockey World Cup. Do they bother you?
I don’t feel the least bit scared and am sure my team feels just the same. Some people make it their business to make threats and they do so. It’s become very commonplace these days. But that doesn’t mean that we stop living because of those threats. An event as massive as the World Cup is far more important than anything else for a player. All threats look trivial when you think of the professional highs of playing in a World Cup. And that’s why we are here in India to show our solidarity as a sporting nation.
What has it been like being in India?
India’s a lovely, loving and warm country. It feels just like my home. We’ve always felt welcome here. Whenever I have come here, I visit the Jama Masjid and every time, it feels as if it’s my first visit. The dargahs in Pakistan are no different. I feel equally at peace in a dargah in Pakistan and in India. I think that best tells you what India means to me. If there’s time on hand after the World Cup, I would love to go shopping and visit a few more places of historic interest. My wife has come here once and she wants to come here again because she felt so loved. I’ll try to bring her next time I am here.
Indian hockey has been in the news recently for all the wrong reasons. How is hockey treated in Pakistan?
In Pakistan, hockey is considered second only to cricket. India excels in other sports besides hockey and cricket, but in Pakistan, only cricket and hockey bring us international laurels. So, both are given a lot of importance in our country.
How do you react when people say that Pakistan is a haven for terrorists? Does it play on your mind whenever you come here?
We are players who are representatives of Pakistan, which is a peace-loving country. Politics is not our business. Can we help it if people tag us? We don’t let these tags bother us because we know that these allegations are totally baseless and untrue.
On his 32nd birthday, Zeeshan Ashraf, the captain of the Pakistan hockey team, played the opening match against India at the World Cup. He would have liked to gift himself a match win, but could not. However, that has not dampened his spirits. Team Pakistan might have managed just a solitary goal against India’s four in a match that was completely dominated by Team India, but Zeeshan says Pakistan is a team that can’t be underestimated”.
Excerpts from an interview:
You wanted to win against India in the opening match. It was supposed to have been your birthday gift to yourself?
Yes, certainly. It would have been a lovely gift had we won, but there can be more gifts like that in the later matches. We have a lot of matches left and Inshaallah, we’ll play better. I will consider the next wins as my belated birthday gift.
Did India prove to be a better side?
India played really well. There are no two ways about it. Their aggression was so in-your-face. It always feels good to play against a competitive team. We tried our best, but they played better. It was their day; India had the full support of the home crowd. However, one match does not make or break a team. Yes, an opening match is always important and India won it, which gives them a moral edge and confidence. But, we’ll pull up our socks because we know that we will have to give 200 per cent to all the matches henceforth. I hope we do well in our next match against India.
There’s been news about an Al-Qaeda threat, followed by security concerns for Pakistani players at the Hockey World Cup. Do they bother you?
I don’t feel the least bit scared and am sure my team feels just the same. Some people make it their business to make threats and they do so. It’s become very commonplace these days. But that doesn’t mean that we stop living because of those threats. An event as massive as the World Cup is far more important than anything else for a player. All threats look trivial when you think of the professional highs of playing in a World Cup. And that’s why we are here in India to show our solidarity as a sporting nation.
What has it been like being in India?
India’s a lovely, loving and warm country. It feels just like my home. We’ve always felt welcome here. Whenever I have come here, I visit the Jama Masjid and every time, it feels as if it’s my first visit. The dargahs in Pakistan are no different. I feel equally at peace in a dargah in Pakistan and in India. I think that best tells you what India means to me. If there’s time on hand after the World Cup, I would love to go shopping and visit a few more places of historic interest. My wife has come here once and she wants to come here again because she felt so loved. I’ll try to bring her next time I am here.
Indian hockey has been in the news recently for all the wrong reasons. How is hockey treated in Pakistan?
In Pakistan, hockey is considered second only to cricket. India excels in other sports besides hockey and cricket, but in Pakistan, only cricket and hockey bring us international laurels. So, both are given a lot of importance in our country.
How do you react when people say that Pakistan is a haven for terrorists? Does it play on your mind whenever you come here?
We are players who are representatives of Pakistan, which is a peace-loving country. Politics is not our business. Can we help it if people tag us? We don’t let these tags bother us because we know that these allegations are totally baseless and untrue.
Comments