When Javed Miandad hit the longest six from Sharjah to Srinagar

Daanish Bin Nabi

Cricket wasn’t colorful and vibrant in 1980s, it was plain white clothed men do their bit on our Black & White 12 inches TV screens. So much were people addicted to cricket and team Pakistan that clumsy aluminum TV antennas supported on huge iron poles were put on roof tops to be able to catch a signal from Pakistan. It was snowy and grainy due to poor reception, still people used to tune in. On April 18, 1986, it was the last match with Pakistan chasing India to lift the cup. Javed Miandad was batting, a very eccentric and what would be called a Pakistani hard-line player. The entire play reached its climax to the final ball of the match. It became a symbol, the victory of Pakistan, after Miandad put the ball away for a six. The ball disappeared but the victory bugle sounded for years and even decades, enthusiastically celebrated in Kashmir. Then Jammu was just a small one district town and Kashmir was much bigger than it is today. From then till now the celebration has not ceased, even though players as well as all games have changed a lot. The NIT foos (fuss) is a frustration of some who have not been able to understand why Kashmiris keep on celebrating a win of team Pakistan. This frustration takes an expression with online order of a flag delivered by a delivery boy with instructions from the messengers backstage who are more frustrated due to ignorance and illiteracy.

Love for Pakistan cricket Team

After the “Yes-Mam-Yes-Sir” Accord in 1975, the pro-Kashmir people and organizations like Plebiscite Front went into a depression as Sheikh Abdullah the messiah was hand-in-glove with New Delhi. Somebody told me that a sponsored Sufi read the palm of Sheikh and said, “You will not see 83 elections. And lo! The Sheikh died before 1983 Assembly Elections. The Shiekh’s betrayal was worse than the Arab Sheikhs’ betrayals who sit in their million-dollar custom made limited edition Rolls Royces while Palestine kids dodge the napalm and daisy cutters. However, Abdullah’s betrayal nurtured the anti-India sentiment. Perhaps it was the “secret deal” feeling that Kashmiri stomach had no enzyme to digest. The food was out there in the gut, undigested, and all it needed was an involuntary sentiment and ‘vomitty’ feeling to throw out. That vomitty feeling or push came when African-looking people of Indies played with India in the Sher-e-Kashmir Stadium, with Sher-e-Kashmir probably giving accounts about the deals.

Team India landed in the “Integral Part” of India where they were booed and teased by the people, which was unexpectedly expected or expectedly unexpected. The enthusiastic fans were in ecstasy and presented the team with verbal wr(e)aths that only Kashmiris understand. People had carried posters of Imran Khan who looked hip and icon. Indian players couldn’t understand either, for it was West Indies versus India. The players could not field, such was the love showered.

The “Sheikh-e” Stadium reverberated with pro-Kashmir and anti-India slogans. Sunil Gavaskar in “Runs ’n’ Ruins” says, “Being hooted at after a defeat is understandable, but this was incredible. Moreover, there were many in the crowd shouting pro-Pakistan slogans which confounded us, because we were playing the West Indies and not Pakistan.”

People in Kashmir used to listen to soothing voice of English commentator Chisti Mujahid. Contemporary to Mujahid on Indian side was Lala Amarnath. But in Kashmir Amarnath would be taunted for his Hindi commentary.

Many people of that generation say we remember a known line of Lala Amarnath’s talk show. “Lala aapki iskey baarey main kya khayal hai”(What are your view on this).

Journalist Tarique Bhat says, “We would mock at this sentence just like the youth like it today when Arun Lal or Kapil Dev or any other Hindi commentators talk in such way. On the other hand there was refined Chisti Mujahid. Hassan Sardar was another Pakistani Hockey commentator. When Mujahid used to say ‘In comes Imran’ this sentence would simply mesmerize people. It was a treat to listen to him. Lala’s commentary like today was always an exaggerated version. “Kapil Dev aaye ball kiye aur zabardast chaka” as if nothing has happened. “Aur zabadast, aur chook gaye”. We still remember what Lala used to say.

His commentary is still etched in memories of 80s folks of Kashmir. It was early eighties when television had made its way in Kashmir, but still only upper middle class could afford to watch the cricket on television. The love for Pakistan cricket team was always among the masses of Kashmir.

Bhat says, “We used to wait for the cricket magazine Sports Star because it always carried a large folded picture of cricket super stars. But people used to wait for the posters of Pakistani players especially for Imran Khan and Zaheer Abbas or the new cricketing sensation Wasim Akram in those times. We had a sense of belongingness towards Pakistani players.”

 The match

Final of Austral-Asia Cup was being played at a neutral and historic Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium between Pakistan and India (50-over match) on April 18, 1986. Pakistan won the toss and chose to field. Pakistan needed four runs to win the match off the last ball. Javed Miandad had to face the last ball. He scanned the cricket ground and counted the Indian players on the field before hitting a memorable and historic six of Chetan Sharma to win. Man of the match was given to the legendary Javed Miandad.

How Kashmiris watched the match

April 18, 1986 was a pleasant day. But the Sharjah cricket ground and the streets were hot with sultry weather. As people could not afford television set they watch it on streets on shops, or at relatives but most listened it on radio. However, the roads were full of people trying to get a glimpse of Sharjah on the television sets.  

A retired PDD employee Ghulam Hassan says, “As there was no technology like today we counted each runs and ball on finger tips. It was all calculation. This batsman had to hit a six or bowler has to bowl a dot ball. Everything was this match.”

People who covered the match

Veteran sports reporter/editor Qayoom Zulfi who worked for Nawa-e-Subh newspaper as Sports Editor in April 1986 said, “Limited people watched the match on televisions. A shopkeeper near Nawa-e-Subh office had installed a colour television. He had bought it only few days before the match that too from outside Kashmir. There were around 300 to 350 people who were watching the match. When it brewed down to last ball, colour of people started to fade. Pakistan had lost it. There was no hope. We did not want Pakistan lose. It was “Zindagi aur mout ka sawal” (Question of life and death) for Kashmiris. And then miracle happened. The heading of my sports page next morning was “Pakistan ki jeet pe wade-e-Kashmir main khushi aur maasarta ka muzahira huwa”.

Doordasrshan erupts in celebration

Like any other part of Kashmir, New Delhi run Doordarshan also witnessed the same response to the match. The Sports Producer for Doordarshan Shabir Mujahid said, “We were telecasting the match live in Kashmir. My duty was in panel room. Staff members started to gradually gather to watch the match. Production control room had around 15 monitors. Control room got fully filled with around 50 people (staffers) by the time match started to take an interesting turn. There was no space to sit. In duty room we had one set that monitored entire match situation. Everyone was on toes. Nobody was expecting that Pakistan will win. No one expected that Minadad will hit a six. We were watching every ball very keenly. Almost everyone said Pakistan has lost the match. When Miandad was scanning the ground to face the last ball, some people left the room. They could not see it. They missed history. I cannot express that situation in words. But the entire technical staff was non-Kashmir. They cheered for India. There was tension but not violence. Everyone was either biting his or her lips or nails. The moment Javed hit the six Doordarshan erupted in celebration. It was as if there was there was a blast inside Doordashan. Some non-Kashmiris and Kashmiri Pandits also cheered and clapped on the last ball. We all hugged each other, celebrated and what not. People on that very day called me on office landline. There were around 20 calls I personally attended asking us to do programs on this match. On the very next day in our ‘Khel aur Khiladi’ program we invited Ranji players Roshan Khayal and Afaq Ahmed for their expert comments. Our landline phone would not stop for the entire 30 minute programme. That programe remains one of the hit programes for Doordasahn during those times.”

How Kashmiris celebrated

It was madness like madness! Entire Kashmir was on roads. For entire day Kashmiris were glued to TV or radio sets and at the end of the day they celebrate as if they had been liberated of some heavy burden.

Altaf Hussain, a shopkeeper in downtown Srinagar says, “We celebrated, burst firecrackers, there was euphoria everywhere and then we participated in a huge processions. There was jubilation all around. Kashmiri Pandits who were always pro-India we celebrated in front of them. Almost at midnight we went inside.”

Tarique Bhat expresses his happiness by saying, “After Miandad hit the six we jumped through our windows. People were already on roads celebrating. That six and that day is deep down etched on our psyche and memory. Almost entire Kashmir was on streets. The jubilation was unprecedented.

Qayoom Zulfi says, “Color of people faded. No one among us wanted to see that ball. But by the end jubilation was all around us. Some deaths also occurred. It was before and after match. Such is the love and enthusiasm for the cricket in Kashmir. These deaths were reported in newspaper the next morning.

A sense of victory and euphoria had gripped the Kashmir for next week. Pakistan’s win was not seen as a cricket win but as a political win as well.

Shabir Mujahid said, “It was Eid for Kashmiris.”

Kashmiris studying outside

Like today, Kashmiri students who were studying outside Kashmir celebrated the win as well. Prof. Sheikh Showkat who was perusing Phd at Aligharh Muslim University said, “We all watched it on TV. We were glued to TV sets. Kashmiri students openly were supporting Pakistan and we all celebrated Pakistan’s victory. There were Indian students who were shocked when Miandad hit the six. The excitement of victory had engulfed us. But there was no animosity between the students like we see today. After we celebrated we were cordial with the other students who supported India. There were no sedition charges that time on us. There was no atmosphere of hostility among the students.”

Politicians enjoyed the game

National Conference General Secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar laughingly said we watched it on TV. “It was a joyful moment for all of us.”  When asked whether he supported India or Pakistan, “Laughing… I can only say we were happy and enjoyed when Miandad hit the last ball six. Cricket fans enjoyed the chaka (last ball six). Sagar was MLA that time. “People who did not supported Pakistan even they enjoyed the match,” he said.

Tail Piece

Love for Pakistan cricket team after 30 years since Javed Miandad won a memorable match in Sharjah still remains vibrant as is evident by NIT controversy and expelling of Kashmiri students from various Indian universities. The only thing that has changed now is the attitude of the people and its government. In 1980s, it was simply a game of cricket where supporters cheered for their favourite teams but now it is all about some kind of nationalism.

Feedback at daanishnabi@gmail.com
Published in Rising Kashmir on April 29, 2016