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Deciding to bat first turned out to be the sensible thing to do. I think the Pakistanis bowled brilliantly, better, collectively, than our lot, but Dhoni had gambled that runs on the board, batting first, would be worth a few wickets in a World Cup final and he was dead right. Umar Gul was unplayable: to bowl yorker after yorker at nearly ninety miles an hour in the bedlam of a Twenty20 game, you have to be a very superior player. And Shoaib captained like a young genius: the decision to go with spin at both ends the moment Yuvraj walked in at the fall of the second wicket was inspired. He thought him out.

When the team was announced at the start of the match, half-a-dozen times through the match and then after it was over, I thought of the parents of the Brothers Pathan. To have two sons in India's eleven, to have your older boy hit the second ball of his international career for six, to see him bowl an over, then to watch your younger son return triumphantly to form when it mattered most, to see him made the Man of this Mother of all Matches, must have been more magical than a fairy tale. Rajdeep Sardesai tells of the time Irfan took him to the home he grew up in, just to show him the improbable origins of an Indian champion. Two rooms in the compound of the mosque where his father was the Imam. Talk about happy endings!

Shoaib Malik's decision to have spinners at both ends as soon as Yuvraj Singh came in was a masterstroke © Getty Images

Then the Pakistan captain said something that was so irrelevant that I couldn't believe my ears. So I looked at the highlights over and over again to make sure that I'd actually heard him say it. This is what he said to master of ceremonies, Ravi Shastri, who asked him a sympathetic question about the game after Shoaib had collected his loser's medal:

"First of all I want to say something over here. I want to thank you back home Pakistan and where the Muslim lives all over the world."

This is what he said word for word because it's important to quote him correctly. The problem here isn't the syntax, it is the sentiment. I don't expect Shoaib Malik to be a politically correct intellectual, but it is reasonable to expect him to know the world of cricket that he inhabits.

It is a world where Muslims, Hindus and a Sikh currently play for England, where Buddhists, Muslims, Christians and a Hindu play for Sri Lanka, where Hashim Amla turns out for South Africa, where a Patel plays for New Zealand, where Muslims, Sikhs, Christians and Hindus play (and have always played) for India. Why would Shoaib think, then, that the Muslims of the world were collectively rooting for the Pakistan team or that they felt let down by its defeat? Did he stop to think of how Danish Kaneria, his Hindu team-mate, might feel hearing his Test skipper all but declare that the Pakistan team is a Muslim team that plays for the Muslims of the world? It is one thing to be publicly religious—Shahid Afridi thanked Allah and Matt Hayden and Shaun Pollock are proud, believing Christians—quite another to declare that your country's cricket eleven bats for international Islam.

Is this the forum to talk about this? Shouldn't Cricinfo and cricket's online community stick to cricket and leave issues like this alone? No we shouldn't, because Shoaib Malik chose to make it our business by saying it in team colours at the end of the ICC World Twenty20 final. He said something that goes to the heart of cricket's loyalties, its culture, its plurality of race and faith and language. If Shoaib took in nothing else about the final, he must have noticed that the bowler who took his wicket was called Irfan Khan Pathan, that the Indian team's most visible cheerleader, the guy who was hugging Indian players in turn at the end of the game, was one Shah Rukh Khan. I feel a residual distaste in even mentioning their names because both Shah Rukh and Irfan are admired in India for what they've achieved, not who they are. But sometimes it is important to spell things out and Shoaib could do with the instruction.

Shoaib Malik just downgraded his intelligence by uttering such a statement. I hope it was just an aberration and he would realise his mistake. Excuse me.. err.. wasnt it a muslim who won the MOM for the opposite team...

I agree with your comments 100%. Shoaib did spoil the mood by making a fool of non-muslim supporters of Pakistan.

Wonderful finishing statements. I am not a good writer but believe me that I thought the same. Cricket is a sport and please keep it out of religion and contribute to its success and not add colors to it.

Why are you talking about islam? He wanted to thank the people for their prayers if they were muslim. You got it all wrong.

I think Mr Kesavan you are over analysing his words too much. Your so called 'sectarian' team has won the match ...

I agree with you Mukul one hundred percent. The thing you said about the Shoaib Malik and his statements did really hurt me. I am not a muslim but I still rooted for Pakistan in their matches except their match against us. I always like the pakistani bowlers and their talents. I dont think what he said was appropriate on this world stage. He should be reprimanded and should apologise to everybody.

leave da poor captain alone, itz onli his first tym as captain he was nervez wen he went up 2talk n mus hav got mixed up!!!

Brilliantly put article. I think it's time the cricketing world, and Pakistani's in general, acknowledge that there is the concept of "Indian Muslim", and it's incredibly prevalent in society today - sports, cricket and other - just as you pointed out.

It was a reckless statement on his part and I hope he realises that there are more Muslims in India than in Pakistan, and probably more Muslims praying for India than for Pakistan..

What a guy this Mukul is!! I rate his blog and cricket acumen way ahead of a Nasser Hussain (my favorite commentator!!) or Ian Chappel's incisive commentry.

I rememebr wincing when Shoaib Malik uttered those words. He doesn't realise that he's plunging a great cricketing nation like Pakistan to abysmal depths by citing words like Muslim supporters, islam etc.

I understand that he's not fluent in his spoken English BUT pakistanis are ridiculing themselves by "saying" all that in a public event like this.

Mukul, I'm waiting in all earnest for your comments on another unwarranted and unwanted person Sreesanth

Great article.

Shame on Shoaib Malik

I totally agree Mukul .... you can't even put this on bad communication skills ....that was outright inappropriate ....especially after Irfan was the MOM.

Well, actually I dint see this bit but my friends told me about Shoaib's comments. I was first surprised. Then angry!

1. If I am an Indian Muslim, I would be angry cauze he is questioning my patriotism.

2. If I am an Indian Hindu I would be angry he got away with this! Imagine if an Indian Hindu had questioned the patriotism of Indian Muslim's.

Its high time Shoaib Malik should learn to be a cricketer first and then anything else. I think this article is a good starting point for him to understand that he is what he is today cause of the game and not a religion.

It (Shoaib thanking Muslims worldwide for their loss :)) almost undid the brilliance Pakistan showed on the field...I am glad that India as a nation has moved on, where a SRK or a pathan or a Zaheer Khan can be proud of their achievements and leaving their religious identities at home like millions of others in the country. Maybe, we as a society got something right, never mind the occasional eruption of jingoism and hate.

Shoiab Malik should be given the information that more muslims live in India than in Pakistan and they support India. Moreover a game is above religious plays.Its only religion is humanity

nice article ...very interesting comment by Shoeb and a very wrong one ... We always play as team not based on religon

Whatever Shoaib said to ravi's question was completely wrong and irrelevant. Lokk in to the future Shoaib don't act like inzi. Grow up.

As an Indian Muslim, I was aghast at reading Malik's statement on Cricinfo, soon after the high of reveling in India's victory. What I wanted to shout out loud in his ear was, "Sorry to burst your bubble bro, but I was a Muslim rooting for India and your loss gladdened me to no end!"

Fantastic article Kesavan...You are absolutely spot on with your observations. This team has belied expectations and led wonderfully well, while Pakistan unfortunately were on the losing side when one hit could have seen them through.Finally the Indian team have delivered when it has mattered over the last few weeks. I agree with you completely about Shoib's comments at the end of the game. Who is he to think that all Muslims root for Pakistan..It is good to have religion and faith but it shouldnt be overtly advertised on the world stage, that too in a final of a world cup!

Mr Mukul u are fishing an issue out of a mere slip of the poor mans tongue he intended and wanted to say pakistanis all over the world come on give the guy a break his english is no where near to urs and u should give him the benefit of doubt........oh but why would u u need fodder for ur columns and not ur fault ur bread and butter depends on it ....but still show some sports man spirit man...

Mukkul,

I am one of the many cricket lovers who are impressed with the way young captains like Dhoni and Mailk approach the press conferences with lot of sensible thoughts and outright honesty. So obviously I was shocked to hear these words from the Pakistani captain.

But I still want to give the benefit of doubt to this young captain. As we all know, English is not his mother tongue and a language where he can express himself very clearly. I think that he wanted to say "pakistanis settled around the world", but it came out wrongly as "muslims around the world". Let's hope I am right :)

Mukul, I'm glad you pointed out and focused on Malik's comments. Its one of the most idiotic things I've heard a captain say after a match. Shortly after I read his comments, I went and blogged on it (not quite as eloquently as you) but it was a little expression of what I felt: http://eye-on-cricket.blogspot.com/2007/09/you-sir-are-idiot.html
I hope someone in the Pakistani press takes him to task as well; otherwise, we'll see other Pakistani captains express similarly ludicrous sentiments down the line as well.

I agree with the writer 100% here. We were watchining the game rooting for India but when Umar Gul bowled yorker after yorker, we were praising him. We were praising how well Pakistan had bowled. Comments like Shoib made here brings religon in the game. As a sports man I appreciate players not who they are. I watached Pak vs. NZ game and I cheered for Pak in that match and I am a non-muslim. Shoib with his comments saying that he only cares about muslim supporters. TOTALLY WRONG, that is not how you win supoort.

Didn't Dhoni and Malik forgot to congratulate each other ? C'mon, both reached the finals after leading such young teams. Only Afridi had the decency to congratulate the victor.

And this comment from Malik -- total unwarranted.

Silly comment from the captain of a team who should have long realized that religion and sport don't mix...

I think Malik down rated the Pakistan's team effort and support in cricket lovers (In particular Non-Muslim's) after such a prime effort. On a different note India has more Muslim than Pakistan........

To be honest, I have enjoyed every article of this match but this one. I truly think that was a slip of tongue from Shoib, a captain hugely disappointed with the loss, and it can happen. This game was played in the best of spirits regardless of race, religion, etc. and we all know international sports like Cricket is beyond all this.

I truly request for all the readers/writers lets not spoil the fun by raising such issues that aren't really issues. Lets learn to give benefit of the doubt for once and celebrate one of the most thrilling matches that was played in years...

Shoaib's comments are an insult to all the pakistan supporters!!! Perhaps he wants to avoid the backlash encountered at home ...of loosing to India (yet again) at the world stage.

Malik's comments are an echoing sentiment of the Pakistan Cricket Team. Religion has no realm in the boundaries of sport. Regardless of your beliefs - sports should be and always will be universal. Kudos Mukul for you candid and honest insight into Malik’s irresponsible demeanor.

Mukul, I agree to your comments totally. The way Shoaib made his comments, I was shocked. Muslims in India will outnumber muslims in pakistan in population and I dont think they would support Pakistan. I agree to your point that giving bowling to Joginder Sharma was not a good ploy, but if you look in the context of the game, we did not have any other bowler left to fall on except Harbhajan, who was out of colour against Misbah ul haq. Hats off to Misbah the way he has batted through out the tournament. Only two people deserved to be be called man of the tournament. 1) Umar Gul, 2) Misbah. Shahid was not a right choice since he took wickets at very costly rate and his runs were came against Bangladesh. This is the irony of the game that one has to lose. Both team played superb game. But at the end, India held the nerves and Misbah was done by pressure not by bowling. Great leadership by Mahendra Singh Dhoni looking at the kind of resources he got. All were young and most of them were new to the international cricket. Look at the bowling options given to Dhoni, Agarkar was going for runs and he did not have a good back up bowler to look for. At the end, Team which held its nerve won the match. Shoaib and Dhoni both deserve big round of applause for the way they have led their teams. Congratulations to team India the way they have played through the tournament. It was total team effort, no heros.
Being an Indian, I am delighted that India won.

I completely agree with Mukul. I have always supported Pakistan and Srilanka because of their sub-continent origin rather than the religion they follow. I sincerely feel that captains of international cricket teams should be taught what not to speak sometimes!!!!. I know that Shoaib is young and still inexperienced being a captain, but hopefully, he will not involve religion with a fine game of cricket from now on.

Mukhul,
Very well said abt Shoaib Malik's comments. Being a representative of Global sport, he should choose his words carefully. Every Player should understand that sport is beyond Race, Religion, caste etc and every Ind citizen has the right to support Pakistan in a sport and vice versa as long the individual is motivated only by sporting interest and not political. Anyways, this tournament has been a moral boosting victory for all cricketing youngsters in general no matter they are from India, Pak or Aus etc. 20-20 needs energetic Young talent to succeed.Period.

I don't think he thanked the Muslims. I was watching the ceremony and he thanked all the Muslim Leagues all over the world. I think he (and the Pakistan team) must have gotten good luck messages from all over the world. And he was thanking them. He seems to be a level-headed guy.
Long time back I think Umar Gul talked in Urdu/Hindi during a presentation ceremony. Why don't all players who are not comfortable with English talk in their native tongue? I don't think knowing English is a sign of a cricket player.

Yes Mukul, I agree with you… that was totally inappropriate and unnecessary statement… I am an Indian Muslim and a die-hard Indian fan; his statement let me down… This is where I think Pakistan should have appointed some one like Shahid Afridi as captain, who understands the context and speaks appropriately to the occasion…

I hope we heard what we did was because of Shoaib's obvious discomfort with the english language. A huge majority believes in the sentiments captured by you Mukul and I sincerely hope it does not grow into another bickering point between cricket fans! And yes, I am a fan of Dhoni the skipper. As Gavaskar rightly noted in the post match analysis, our man has that presence on the field and players seem to look up to him. The most unfortunate bit, amidst all this euphoria, however, has been the way our media has reacted. Their has been veiled comments on the relevance of the TRIO in light of our successes in South Africa. This is such a pity indeed. To think that we had a respectable face in international cricket over the last decade and a half can be ascribed solely to these greats. Throghout the nineties, our batting was synonimous with sachin. Dravid has produced more masterclass innings than any in the world over the last 6-7 years. Now is not the time to pass veiled remarks against them. They have been massive.

Cheers!

I was stunned when I heard it... getting religion in the middle of the things.It's pathetic.I hope Shoaib didn't really mean it.

As a muslim myself I'm sure Shoaib meant the support of muslims the world over during this testing month of ramadan. However I'm sure the writer knows this...

I doubt he meant anything by it.

Probably just a slip of the tongue. I think people are making more of it than they should.

After reading this article, I'm at cross roads whether to applaud or applaed such keen observation.
I'm sure, Mr. Malik had no intention of making this a Muslim forum. He probably could have put it alot better had he said in his native tongue.
Somethings ARE LOST in transaltion. Let it be Mr. Kesavan, let it be. He is no Poilitician nor an orator, he's just a good cricketer and simple man. Do not make this into a Muslim hating forum.

Hi Mukul

I want to start off by saying that you might be a little too hasty in calling Dhoni the only adult in Indian cricket, we must remember that Dravid was not the captain that blamed others and stamped his feet. However, having said that, I completely agree with you when you say that Dhoni does not look like he is burdened by the task of making large and crucial decisions... For some reason, Dravid always seemed like a man in trouble all throughout the game... Dhoni has a likable carefree flair about him, which will do a lot for Indian cricket over the next couple of years. I agree with you when you say Dhoni should be made the Test captain as well, not because I believe he's the only one capable of doing it... but because I don't believe in the concept of different captains in the different forms of the game... lets give one guy the reins and see what he does.

Also, I'm really glad that you brought up Shoaib Malik's comments... I thought the same thing as you when I saw the postgame ceremony... I actually went back and watced it again just to make sure I had heard him right. I was incredibly surprised by his declaration of playing for muslims... especially taking into context his competition. His side was not playing australia or south africa or west indies where although islam exists, it is not a crucial aspect of everyday life... but instead, they were playing India, a country with a large islamic population and a country who's last President was a man by the name of Abdul Kalam... not to mention the names you brought up. We have had this notion in India and Pakistan about the conflict being between Hindus and Muslims... fortunately, this idea has beginned to die down recently and friendlier times have come... the last thing we need is the captain of the pakistan team stating pakistan plays for all the muslims in the world. I'm glad you brought up this topic... because I know a lot of people would be hesitant to seem controversial when infact, it was Shoaib Malik who set it up that way.

big pakistan fan, dejected that they lost. Shoaib Malik should not have said what he said. In pakistan there are all types of people who love cricket and pakistan. Whether you are Christian, Sikh, or hindu pakistan is for everyone and that is what jinnah believed in. Shoaib has used the wrong choice of words. I am Muslim and I dont agree with his statement.

I agree with the writer's sentiments. It was totally inappropriate for a National team captain to say such a thing. However, Let us take into consideration that this bright young man is just a product of his environment. Hopefully, with more exposure and more experience of being in a high position of authority will ensure that he will not repeat such a faux pas as this. Perhaps, this piece should be directed more at the PCB than at Malik himself.

Geoff Lawson must try and root such sentiments from his captain or it might undermine what little progress the team has managed thus far. For me, the great fun of this final was a tiny bit diminished by such a crass and insulting comment. You encapsulated the vast majority of general feeling most succintly in your article. Cricket is a universal game to be loved, cherished and much enjoyed by all regardless of colour, creed or class. Long live cricket.

Very poignantly put. It is the ill-informed individuals like the Pakistani captain who could have done something like this. Did the Indian victory make Irfan Pathan and his brother Yousuf, a lesser Muslim? I think NOT. They are just individuals like their captain Dhoni representing their country. It is insulting to even reflect on such comments. This habit of bringing religion is insidious and must not be allowed to tarnish a global event where skills and not beliefs matter. Wonder what Geoff Lawson felt? Welcome to the club, mate. I wonder what would happen if the Australians start praising Jesus Christ at Lahore after beating the Pakistan team in a series there. PLEASE LEAVE RELIGION OUTSIDE THE CRICKET GROUNDS. It has NO place there. And if you want to praise the lord or your religion, do it in your heart.

wounderful captaincy by Dhoni, well support from the other team mates, it's really grate.

Wow! Is this immaturity or what? My heart goes out to Danish Kaneria - the whole idea of being publicly religious (thanking Allah, etc) is not good; considering that it brings in the 'religion'(fundamentalist) element to cricket. Obviously, its a personal choice - but here, it does seem to be forced upon the whole Pakistani team. In a lot of ways, it represents the thought process of how the team goes preparing for its matches.

Yes Shoaib did do a faux pas with his statement. He could very well have gone the Dhoni route by saying that the whole country was praying for them.

Give the guy a break. His team has just lost to there arch rivals. Shoaib was very emotional and made an error. He meant to say Paksitanis all over the world not Muslims. Everyone makes mistake. Why is Mr Mukul making a big thing about this ? And Mr Ashwini there are more muslims in Pakistan than in India. Please get your facts right.

Good article. I think you summarized it brilliantly. Perhaps Shoaib should have his comments written out for him by a speech writer going forward.
....Even Inzy would not have said something like this......or maybe he would :)
There is no place in cricket for anyone who thinks Shoaibs comment was justified.

I 100% agree with the comments posted by Mukul. I looked at the video and the first impression I got "what he is talking on the stage where the entire cricket world is looking at". This shows how immature he is. I am sure, someone should point out and ask him to apologize for his immature comments.

I also wanted to add something in Shoaib's defense... I really hope that what he said was just due to his discomfort with the english language, in which case... that is entirely excusable...

I really hope it was a phrase that was lost in translation... not anything intentional

Malik got what he deserved.Also his sentiments reflect what he believes. But let me mention that India got much more than a world championship........It got a clear and open advertisement of its secular nature to the whole world.It was emotional to see a cheer go up when Shahrukh was shown on the screen, see him hugging the players and congratulating them.Nothing is a better advertisement for India than those scenes. Keep it up India.

Mukul, I am sure you realize that Shoaib is the tip of this huge ugly iceberg, which we all can do without in cricket. It is all the more shocking coming from him, since he is married to Ayesha Siddiqui from Hyderabad in India and is expected to know the emotions of his 'sasural' country. Somebody needs to walk upto this man and use bold letters to burst his ears with the followinh message: SORRY SIR, YOU MAY HAVE BURDENED YOURSELF TO REPRESENT EVERY MUSLIM ON EARTH (what the heck, even on MARS), BUT MUSLIMS IN INDIA ARE REPRESENTED BY THOSE 11 MEN IN BLUE.

Malik's comments should make every Indian feel proud about what India and Indian spirit stands for. I'm a Hindu and I'm proud to have an Irfan in my team and not a Malik.

I think the man should at least be given a chance to explain himself before we all jump on him.

Let's remember people that the comment came after probably his biggest cricketing setback. I doubt he was thinking clearly (or at all)

Although I still think people are making a mountain of a mole hill.

It's unfortunate that MK chose to close his post with the Malik controversy. In doing that, he diluted the rest of the article in my mind. Is Shoaib a better spokesman/ambassador/politician than he is a cricketer. I think not, however we expect him to be. Did he mean it to be a personal affront to all the non-Muslim supporters of Pakistan? MK surely thinks so. Perhaps he should have his speechwriters fired, Mr Kesavan?

As an Indian Muslim, I felt pretty bad about what he said. But he's still a young lad who is not very experienced as a captain. I am proud of what the Indian team has achieved and will always stand by them through thick and thin.

This is really not the right time to write this kind of comment. After this wonderful World Cup, it would have been better to talk about the play itself than some random sentence that Shoaib Malik uttered at the end of the match.
This is the problem with ALL you Journalists. You guys take some random words and make it into big issues. Cut it out, and admire the game

Let's cut him a break, people sometimes say things they don't realize when they are saying them. Having said that, he is the captain of pakistan internation team, should be more careful of his words in future.

I too felt a little odd listening to Malik; he should be given the benefit of doubt though. English is not the subcontinent's first language anyway.
Joginder Sharma is undercooked. His figures today do not do justice to his mediocre bowling. He was lucky today; was bowling over pitched dollies outside off.
Had Robin Uthappa held on to a tough chance from Misbah earlier, it would not have been this close.
Dhoni seems to be saying the right things so far. But he's been lucky too - all his decisions have paid off in spectacular fashion, this is not to take anything away from him.
Feels great to savor a victory in a World Cup after 24 years.

Three Cheers.
One last note - BCCI please dont kill the hen that lays the Golden Egg. Can't beleive these guys will be back on the field in B'lore on Sat. This after a 3 month gruelling tour of England and then this. All the players and their work loads have to be managed very carefully; a policy of rotation has to be adopted.

Thank you for pointing out the Pakistan skipper's mistake and making a formal note of it. Playing at an international level and speaking at the finals of a world cup, you have to realize the impact of your words and the number of people listening to you. What he said is absolutely ridiculous and I hope more people pick this point and question him about it till he says something to retract his statement. With the man of the match standing next to him, he proved that he was clearly blind to cricketing loyalities.

I am pretty sure Shoaib did not mean what he said. It is just that he is uneducated and was probably caught up in the moment.

This was exactly my reaction when I heard him utter those words on live tv BUT after a while when it sunk in herez what I thought.

I think you missed out on a few more words that he said. He said, "we are sorry for the loss but you should know that we gave our 100%". Its easy to give a knee-jerk reaction to somebody's words but we should also understand where his words came from. Pakistan is a islamic nation and there are scores of proud pakistani nationals living outside their home country. They were disappointed and devastated after having coming so close. They share the same passion for this game as theirs brothers across the border. For Shoaib they are all muslims and so are they for the rest of us and that is who I think he referred to as the muslim people.

Given his apparent shortcomings in the English language why can't we stop judging and give him the benefit of doubt?

Those comments from Malik have tainted an otherwise good Debut as Captain. his batting and leadership throughout the tournament have been calm and composed. Though some of his descions have been pretty bad ( Afridi at 6 is a pure waste his slogs are more likely to clear the field in the first 6 overs, moving Kamran up the order was bad too) but on the whole he is a much better captain than Younis is.
About those comments less said the better...

Well when Pathan won the MOM he did not thank Muslims does it make him a lesser Muslim or a better sports personality ?

Chak De India!!!!

Mukul Kesavan is absolutely right in his criticism of Shoaib Malik. It was distasteful and I felt it spoiled the atmosphere more than anything. A player gets punished for excessive appealing, showing dissent etc. It is a shame that people are allowed to play and get away with making such remarks.

Shoaib should learn to be good cricketer first.I think shoaib is thinking, the whole Muslim community in the world supporting PAK. I supported Pak through out the tournament,except when they played against india. I was shocked when i saw it live. Good article Mukul.

Was waiting for such article...nicely written. Of all the things that happened over the tournament ... of all the wins and losses of Pakistan, of all their great and good performances what matters most to its captain is that he dissappointed the world of Islam!!
How can he even suppose that a Indian (or for that matter a non-Pakistani) muslim will be wnting for him to win? We Indians are a proud nation, we take great pride in being Indians. God help Malik if he thinks any Indian (muslim or non-muslim) will support Pakistan in a India-Pakistan match. WE ARE PROUD TO BE INDIANS!!

I am from pakistan and boy what a game. To make things worse shoaib opens his mouth. Keep your mouth shut and just play the game. Enough...Move on people. Stop showing off the religion and focus on the game. DISGRACEFUL.

Absolutely right. All of us who were watched were stunned by that statement. We were all watching excellent cricket by both the teams, and out of no where Mr. Shoaib decided to include some thing that was totally unnecessary. If it is a mistake, I hope he meant all Pakistanis and not Muslims! But otherwise he better take english lessons/public speaking courses. I am sure every cricket lover in the world was appreciating batting by Misbah-Ul-Huq, may not be enjoying :).
I hope some one in the press let Shoaib know about his mistake and hope he does not repeat it.

This Pakistan Captains comment comes as no surprise as there has been precedence with most captains barring Rameez Raja & Wasim Akram uttering such comments. Not too long ago the country's cricket establishment found to it's dismay prayer was the way to success & not practice. Less mentioned the better else it gives credence to the utterence itself.

you guys dont have other things to do than discussing over poor mans poor comments ? :)

I think he most certainly wanted to THANK all the people for SUPPORTING and PRAYING for him and his team.

His english is not all that great(even though better than Inzi), so you have to give him some slack.

I am very much thinking in the way of Mukul and hoping that some one (as i am not a software/computer expert) will come-up with this article. I am feeling shame now for wishing for Pakistans success in all other matches, except those involving India. Infact, i wished they should loose by a tiniest of the margins so that back home their people will not hurt that badly...

oh! I agree with you mukul! he should hav avoid that words...but i think, he used that word only for escaping from the after effects of this loss from the pakistani's supporters in pakistan!.." Shoib, cricket is a global game...and all players are good ambassador's of their country! ....so try to avoid those types of words in future...you hav a gr8 future as captaining pakistan...and sorry danish kaneria,it was not to hurt you! :)

well the guy has really undone and brought shame to his team's briiliant performance that got them so far and almost to the top! I am also sure our brothers whom he was referring to feel the same!

its not abt muslim, hindu, sikh, christian etc....it's about cricket, man!! grow up Shoaib (and quickly)

one thing's certain: Shoaib needs to learn diplomacy if he has any hopes of being a respected captain....

btw, brilliant article Mukul

I think Shoaib just wanted to thank the pakistani supporters all over the world and not the muslims.. I am sure he repents the import of what he said at the conference.. lets nt make an issue out of this..

I think Dhoni could have persisted with Yusuf pathan, who did bowl well in the one over. The three sixes of harbhajan in one over almost tilted the match in pakistan's favor.

...He thanked people in Pakistan and Muslims around the world. What did he thank them for? For praying for/supporting the Pakistan team. How does that question the loyalty of Indian muslims? If you're a Muslim and didn't support Pakistan, he didn't thank you. If you're not a Muslim and you prayed/supported Pakistan, he didn't thank you. Perhaps he forgot you, perhaps he didn't want to thank you or perhaps he doesn't know you exist. He isn't under any oblgation to thank anyone, so you can't hate him for that.

In the future, stick to cricket.

I imagine there is a lot of pressure at a post-match press conference. If you have to speak in a language that is not your mother tongue, the pressure can be doubled.

Malik impressed me with his cool captaincy and good criket skills. Pakistan have a bright future in such a young man. I would give Malik the benefit of the doubt...and possibly a ticket to an English Speaking and Public Relations Communcations course. Give him a break, guys!

I hope Chandu is right and it was just an error of translation. If not, it was a majorly stupid thing to say. I wish Irfan had said: "Thanks also to Shoaib for thanking me and Yusuf for some strange reason".

As for Dhoni, he does seem to be a fantastic captain. Though I don't think our previous guys had a habit of blaming others.

I beleived Shoaib Malik was a mercurial captain....more, a wonderful person, until the Twenty20 Final ceremony that is. He led his team well, created an amazing sense of belief among his players, showed them the path to a nearly won final. And then..... he uttered the unbeleivable. I firmly beleive he did not mean what he said, for there is no reason for him to say so. Yet he said and said so out of the context. The question is Why? And a bigger question is 'doesn't it have to do something with the kind of education these people are subjected to? Don't these words reflect what their concious have been fed? Do these guys ever realize how much it hurts the sentimemnts of cricket lovers, if not their own reputation?'
Shoaib, you have lost one fan and I am not sorry for that.

Yes, the comment from Shoaib Malik was irrelevant and wasnt fitting in any sporting event final podium or for that matter any event. I literally fail to understand what has religion got to do in supporting a team. Shoaib should publicly apologize over the issue.

His ENGLISH sucks! GIVE HIM A BREAK!

I'm sure he didn't mean it; just a slip of tongue!

mukul you are a abit of a jerk for makin this such a big issue because im sure u understand that shoaib malik most likely did not mean what he actually said, so give him a break im sure he and the rest of the pakistanis would appreciate this

OMG. You're taking this out of context. If you havent noticed, it's the month of Ramadan right now. Muslims, such as Shoaib feels that, not that I think he's fasting while playing, but for every muslim,this is a special time of the year. And many supporters have taken the time to follow Pakistan's matches during this period. He wanted to thank people for the prayers. Although I agree the statement was poorly timed, it was not that ridiculous. Pakistan is a country with 95 % muslims, take that in count. And also I feel Shoaib's true comment got lost in translation...simple as that.

SHAME on Shoaib! He insulted Bob Woolmer, Danish Kaneria and Geoff Lawson and Every Muslim playing for any other country than Pakistan.

Considering the fact that most of the Paki players are not familiar with English, it would be wise to give the benefit of doubt to the Pakistan skipper as to what he intended by his statement. Remember, not so long ago, a player and Skipper by the name Inzamam Ul Haq would shudder when he played well to warrant a man of the match award, just for the fear of speaking in English during the post match ceremonies.
So please leave this issue alone and savour the great win that our lads have pulled off....Chak De India.

Well! please dont make it an issue. The problem is that Pakistan players(except Shoaib Akhtar) finds it hard to express themselves in English. Sometimes they dont mean what they say when it comes to speak in english.

Give the poor guy a break. This is very harsh criticism, without even giving him any benefit of doubt..being on the winning side and just a spectator, i was not even in a position to speak after the game, just imagine how he might be feeling, drained of all emotions.. he must have meant "thank you back home Pakistan and the Pakistanis living all over the world". and the fact that he mentioned "back home", i am pretty sure he meant pakistanis and not muslims.
Anyways, he is a good captain and i am pretty sure we will have a cracker of an india-pakistan series coming up..

Hmmmm,,, its a day to be remembered and lets hope that team india keep this vibe going on....its moment for all of us to cheer...

Regarding the comment from Malik, lets excuse him on the basis of misinterpretation,, anyway we shouldnt pick on him much as atleast even if he had meant it word by word, how can we criticize ?, where our own government appends the list of allowed gods :-).... its a sad fact,,,, but we have to live with it.

As much i want to give benefit of the doubt, it left a bad taste. He is a young and brilliant captain for Pakistan. I hope he stays as captain for long time. As far as India Goes. CHAK DE INDIA!!!!!

Though, it could be a slip of the toung coupled with some emotions, when you talk to the media, you have got to be careful, in what you say; Sorry, no excuses here. I feel, a public apology from S Malik will correct this situation immediately.

Being a Pakistani, I was obviously saddened at the loss of Pakistan..but lets face it, IT WAS A FANTASTIC GAME! In regards to Malik's comments, he was thanking muslims who had sent him messages from all over the world not thanking all the muslims in the world...please correct your statement. Thanks.

As someone mentioned before, we root for Pakistan when they dont play against us. Wasim Akram, Imran Khan, Waqar and Inzamam-Ul-Haq are some players who would warm any cricket lovers hearts irrespective of their nationality or religion.

I just hope Malik's statement was an aberration or something that shouldn't have come out the way it should because if it didnt then that just means that he thinks that Pakistani cricket team is the torchbearer for Muslims around the world. I can just shake my head in disbelief. There are enough Muslims players playing for at least 4 other teams to shoot down that claim. I just hope that there is an explanation behind it. That aside, congratualtions to both the teams on playing a great tournament and two great matches. Can't remember when cricket was as exciting as this.

Lets not be nitpicky about what Malik said. It was a good match between good teams and in the midst of all the post-match adrenaline rush, a non-english speaking captain said something that did not come out right. Lets leave it at that. This is too good a moment to bicker about things like these.

I totally agree with you sir, i was apalled myself at the comment from the Pak Captain. The heart of a champion is neither muslim nor hindu nor a christian. For crickets sake i hope it was just the slip of a tongue and not the sentiment of a nation.

I am sure that the muslims of Bangladesh did not route for Pakistan especially after their defeat. I am sure Irfan Pathan and Yusuf Pathan did not route for Pakistan either. Sorry, Shoaib, I guess you are confused!!

Listen guys, that malik guys, didn't mean it, its just a language barrier... But he is a good player. I think its just habit forming to say things like that, just like we Americans use the 4 letter word on ever thing, I think he was just lost for words, I really think they should speak in urdu ...or have some one translate it for them.

Come on people. The last I heard (or read) was that Shoaib was taking English speaking lessons so as to enhance his reputation as a captain of a cricketing nation. Come to think of it. How old is this guy? At such an young age, you expect him to talk like an oxford pro? Gimme a break. Few days back India was about to burst over an octogenerian's statement (and a CM at that too) saying that whatever we read/heard about one of our God's is completely wrong. Given the context which is more inciteful? Come on guys. Lay off Shoaib. He said what he said, and did any one bother to ask him to clarify his statements, post match?

Relax. In the heat of the moment and knowing that over a billion people are watching you, any one can blubber due to nerves. Shoaib, as a Captain is an infant yet. The best of us who do publich speaking for ages, still get butterflies and say something wrong from time to time, that we absolutely don't mean it. So, what to talk about Shoaib then. The fact remains that the pakistani national cricketers are as close freinds to most of the Indian cricketers off the ground. So, let's give the kid a break....shall we? If we want to pick on something, there is always that old guy in the dark sunglasses who just landed a massive blow to the whole nation's sentiment in one drunken statement.

Lets see if you are "over-analyzing" Shoaib Malik's comments then you should know that he is still learning the language. Evidence: an english teacher awaits him when he gets back home. So there is a language barrier so to speak. Maybe things did not come out right. Maybe what he meant to say was, I am thankful for the people who are praying for our victory since its Ramadhan(a muslim holy month). So please don't be judgmental! Congrats to india on the victory and bring on the next series!

Awesome work Mukul...though all of them made an attempt to listen to it time and again..nobody dared to mention it as you did..Yes,he should not have said that.

Amazing win for India. A great finals. I think we have found a very talented, carefree Indian captain. We need someone like him who can bring the team together and let them all play their natural game. I always like the attitude of a team that can go for the kill. And India did it today. Regarding the comments of Paki captain... that is absolutely foolish for him to say anything like that. I hope he realises that. Very poor statement. He not only belittled his own team, he also belittled the whole country of Pakistan for such words.
Anyway, amazing victory for India. They deserved this. And yea, our victory streak in world cup against Pak continues!

Awesome work Mukul...though all of them made an attempt to listen to it time and again..nobody dared to mention it as you did..Yes,he should not have said that.

I disagree with you Kamer, Do you think Only MUSLIMS watch cricket & only MUSLIMS support Pakisthan? Cricket fans across the globe have watched/enjoyed/cheered this match.If he had said, Thanking Pakisthan people & the ppl who supported his team worldwide, that should have been the rights words.

I agree with mukul totallay, what shohaib said was totallay wrong, but give the guy some break he has lost a worldcup final, his face showed the story the guy didnt know what he was saying, and his english is not that good, he did not meat to disrespect anyone. Hes a human he made a mistake.

this is his 1st tournament as a captain..and this is India pak match..he must be under extreme stress after losing the match ...may be he wasnt aware of what he is talking in that state...v just cant blame him for this..v shd not take this srsly...it is due to his english prob and actually i think he dint mean to say this

Calling out 'Pakistanis around the world' is one thing and 'Muslims around the world' is another. For some of you who were arguing for 'poor guy - Malik' who should get the benefit of doubt - You dont need to have English as your mother tongue to differentiate between People of Pakistan around the world and Muslims around the world! You dont deserve to be the Captain and represent your nation when you are so ignorant and cant differentiate between such sensitive and politically so incorrect phrases. It's 'your' (as you would call him - Irfan) Muslim in India that won us the match today!

You can bring with you an interprater to translate Urdu into English. At the beauty peagents every year, girls representing Venenzuala bring interpraters with them to do all the talking! It's ok not to know a language that's not your native. But it's not okay to think what you were thinking while you were talking in front of the entire world!!!

frankly, i think that YOU should just stick to cricket as well. you really are making a mountain out of a molehill. get a grip people!

Guys! give him a break, he is just a nice guy and does not know english, maybe he meant to say People who supported Pakistan at Home and Away(instead of Muslim).

WoW! A great read...it's added to the pleasure of the day. Getting to the most significant point talked about, which I was expecting to be discussed widely as soon as I heard it, Shoaib Malik hasn't lived upto the spirit of the game. At the time, when we've begun looking at Cricket as a unique binding force for many countries and religions, his statement did the damage work. Kudos to Mr. Mukul for having explained the rationale behind why this irrational comment was unexpected from a team skipper. Let's hope the damage control is done by someone(wish it's Shoaib himself) to maintain the love and respect for the game in the minds of the fans, without any prejudices. And yes, hardly there would be any much happier people than the parents of Pathan brothers. They must be feeling on top of the world. Rohit, Yusuf and Joginder are proving their mettle, which is a great sign. RP and Irfan have done excellent job and get their due credits. But one man has gone a little unnoticed- Gambhir, without whose knock things wouldn't have turned this way. Thanks to Pakistan team too who displayed a great show and special ones to Misbah for that cute shot! It's crackers, music and Sweets all around...cheers to India...much more promises to keep...CHAK DE INDIA!

Irrespective of whether he meant it or not, whether it is his English to be blamed, whether he got caught up in emotion, or , being the captain and representative of your country on a world stage, you ought to be more careful about what slips out of your windpipe. This Pakistan team's obsession with religion has been well documented, and by overtly flaunting its faith, this team might portray a wrong image of what the real Pakistan is like in this new age. I am an Indian and have many Pakistani friends, and they were all equally aghast by what they heard. Shoaib Malik the person is free to say what he believes in his autobiography, or whichever medium calls for his personal views. But while representing a nation as a whole, better PR is called for. Some things are just not acceptable ...

Mr. Kesavan, Malik was thanking Muslims for their prayers for the team glory. Think and then talk.

Maybe someone should ask Shoaib to explain further before he is charged guilty or proclaimed innocent. Clearly, attention needs to be directed at understanding Shoaib's intent in making those comments before we all go off the deep end. Mukul, I'm sure you know folks who can get greater clarity on this directly from Shoaib. Cheers!

so Mr. Kamer, why to bother and insist on that ? no one should support such kind of statement. And reminding about ramdan, are you trying to tell than every thing is fair in that period... you are wrong. You are prroving yourself poor buddy

I think Malik meant all his supporters. He is not confortable talking in English..

Yes, i was shocked when looked at the Pakistani Captains speech at the Prize distribition. It doesn't make any sense to mention the RELIGION in such an occassion.

Doesn't he (Shoaib Malik) know that Indian team has Muslims in it? I believe, it's because of his lack of experience and he could also be not well prepared for a speech at the presentation. He should re-think about what he said...

Folks,
While Shoib might have not meant what he said....Still it is not the right stage or the right time to bring in religion during a post match conference. One must understand that people love to watch cricket matches not because of religion..It is simply not in the equation. Shoib's predecessor Inzamam also used to talk about such stuff in post match conferences...The pakistan Team must be asked to keep its religious sentiments out of such situations and only in the dressing room....It really left a bitter taste after what was an incredible final after so many years.

Thanks
Rajiv

What he wanted to Prove by saying so. I could not understand how his statements are related to his team's loss. It was a ridiculous statement

dude ..it is pretty obvious what he meant by that, because Pakistan is the only test playing cricket nation that has a Muslim majority, so that is why he said what he said, because muslims all over the world unless if they are from other test playing countries that has a minority of Muslims, they will support pakistan, i know i do, dude honestly you gotta read some books and stop picking on what a guy who speaks b r oc ke n english and start finding a real cricket story to write about or you will probably/hopefully will lose your job

Hi Mukul,
It must be an honest slip of the tongue in the heat of the moment. He was one shotaway from the worldcup and given his poor english background, you expect too much from him.
Give him a break and he will clarify matters.

Watchout guys!! Dhoni's relaxed/endearing presence can soon be described nonchalant or even careless behaviour. There is a fine line between the two and it moves one side or the other depending on whether you are winning or losing. Remember Sehwag's carefree hitting brought him to the door of captaincy until his "careless" attitude(more than his batting - as reported) shut him out of the team.

YES MUKUL U R 100% CORRECT HE SHOULD NOT SAY IT BECAUSE I IS AN INSULT TO NON MUSLIM FANS SUPPORTING PAKISTAN ADN AFTER ALL WE R ONE OF THOSE .

He married an indian muslim from hyderabad. he is our son-in-law

people at high should undergo some training sessions on what to talk in public. I do not think Malik had such kind of training. And just to bring out to every one that these people are not great public speakers, and we should not point,dwell,dig and make it a big political issue.
Malik is a great leader, to have lead the team to final should not be masked by what he said during presentation.
Let us forgive/forget what he said and enjoi what pakistan and India have given us today, "THE MEMORABLE MATCH".

I think it was a slip of the toungue and we shut give him the benefit of the doubt. In you article you say "This is what he said to master of ceremonies, Ravi Shastri, who asked him a sympathetic question about the game after Shoaib had collected his loser's medal."
'Collected his LOSER's medal'??? i mean comon show some sports man spirit. Should we similarly castigate over your thoughtless remark. And you even have the benefit of familiarity with English which the Pakistan captain didnt have.

To all those saying this was a slip of tongue, why don't you ask Shoaib to apologize and make a correction ?

I absolutely agree with mukul's obbservation. The fact that Malik is not good in english is not a good excuse of what he uttered. This utterances has been common in many of the pakistan skippers post match conference talks. Sports is suppose to bring countries, religions,people togoether but comments like this by malik could undo everything that was done in the past. Representing the country, malik should have been carefull in his words.. Finnaly CONGRATS to India.

Some thoughts about my todays heros
Ghambir -- dude where have u been all this time
Irfan -- U the man of the day
RP -- 12 wickets in the tournament do i need to say more
S Santh -- Love the exhibition of fire
Jogi - two matches two final over and u came through Kudos

First of congrtualtions to India. They held their nerves and won the game even when they felt they did not have the total on the board that they wanted. It is always is hard to chase when you have runs on the board and to top it off an India vs Pakistan final....u need nerves of steel.

I am die hard Pakistani fan, born, bleed, live sleep, think about Pakistan cricket, I too sub-continent teams.

Now on Maliks comments, I know the guy personally, I truly believe and know it in my heart that he did not mean "Muslims all over the world". Like most Pakistani's english is not their mother tongue, though I must he does speak better than "Inzy". I just feel because in the month of Ramadan he got carried away not just thanking Pakistani back home but Muslims over the world.

I did see footage of the Pakistani team shaking hands and Afridi hunging "Pajee - Harbajan". Dhoni and Malik did shake hands as well.

This rivalry has matured over the year and so has the fan base. Based here in CA, I play with my Indian friends and now we can talk about much openly, rather than the days of Sharjah when it was always a one-side affair in favour Pakistan.

Dhoni is a great choice for India and Malik a great choice for Pakistan. They should be given the freedom to build on youth and mold a team which reckon sub-continent again as force in the cricket world.

Notice the oldies from both teams were not missed. Inzy, Yousuf, Arogant-Akhtar or Razzak. I don't think Ganguly, Sachin or Dravid could have done any better as well.

At the end of the day lets cut Malik some slack and let the Indian fans and players rejoice this victory for years to come.

I look forward to Pakistan vs India series next year.