(Disclaimer: this is a work of fiction. Learn to take a joke; you’ll live longer.)
SHEIKHUPURA – Amin Ali, a 21-year-old diehard cricket fan, has successfully limited himself to watching five overs of each match of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) as a show of patriotism and expression of solidarity with the armed forces, The Dependent has learnt.
Amin Ali, who self-identifies as much as a cricket fan as he does as a nationalist and religionist – the latter two terms he uses interchangeably for himself – believed that watching only five overs out of the 40 that a T20 contest has would hit the enemy where it hurts the most.
“Not watching the IPL would teach those Indians and tell them about the strength of Pakistan,” Amin Ali said while talking to the media after watching the last over of the Royal Challengers-Mumbai Indians match on Thursday.
“That’s why I only stream five overs per match, depending on which overs would be the most entertaining – that I find out by following the commentary on ESPN Cricinfo and posts on cricket groups on Facebook,” he added.
Amin clarified that while he has a limited data which does not allow him to steam much online, that was not the main driving force behind his limited IPL viewing.
“It’s purely the love for my country that compels me to do this,” he clarified.
Amin further told the media that this expression of solidarity ‘clearly’ made him more patriotic that his neighbour Shujaat Hussain, who watch ‘at least 20 overs’ per match.