Devastated fans smash TV sets after Pakistan’s defeat

After Pakistan’s shocking defeat at the hands of West Indies early Saturday, angry cricket fans were seen smashing television sets in Multan and mourned what was said to be the death of cricket for Pakistan.

‘Mourners’ sat around a bed of cricket bats in a mock funeral setting on MDA Road and raised their hands in prayer as they offered Fateha. The disappointed fans said it is time to focus on other sports because cricket has been far too upsetting.

“We stayed up the entire night for this match, I swear to God they have broken our hearts,” lamented a cricket fan in Multan donned in a Pakistani cricket jersey.

Meanwhile, at Chungi No 9 enraged cricket fans protested and vented their frustration by smashing a number of TV sets with large batons. The cricket supporters said that cricketers must be selected for the squad based on merit.

“We should bury cricket. We should not think about it. We should not play it. We should only focus on our national game hockey and other games such as football,” said another disappointed fan.

Residents of the city also organised a symbolic funeral procession, replete with a coffin with several cricket bats placed over it, directing their anger at the national team after a poor start to the tournament that has also seen it defeated by arch-rivals India.

“This time we were really hoping for Pakistan to win,” Shama Bibi, one of those taking part, told reporters.

“We don’t want to watch this anymore.”

Another demonstrator who gave her name only as Rafia blamed the Pakistan Cricket Board for what she said were poor selections and politicisation of the game.

Cricket fans elsewhere in the country, meanwhile, staged their own protests to show their frustration with the national side.

A revitalised West Indies cashed in on a sensational Pakistan batting collapse to notch their first victory of the World Cup by 150 runs at Hagley Oval in Christchurch.

The Caribbean cricketers scored 310-6, with 115 runs coming in a swashbuckling final 10 overs involving Lendl Simmons, Andre Russell and Darren Sammy.

Pakistan in reply crumbled to their second straight defeat when they were all out for 160, failing to recover after the top four wickets fell in the first four overs for just one run, the worst start in one-day international history.

The West Indies, meanwhile, blocked out memories of their shock first up loss to Ireland as six batsmen posted scores of 30 or more.