It's not about Pakistan. It's about Shahid Afridi.
And if you read his post rather than just jerking your knee, the reason why Uppercut raised the example was to make the point that it's not as serious a crime as everyone else makes out.
For what it's worth, I think what Afridi did was the most blatant and outrageous piece of cheating I've ever seen. And I couldn't give a toss what country he comes from.
Thats exactly the point.
We, all of us, Indians, Pakistanis, Aussies, Kiwis, the lot, need to keep our nationalistic emotions in check when debating or discussing stuff. It adds nothing to the argument except, on many occasions, vitiating the debate itself. Letting one's nationalistic fervour destroy one's credibility does damage to both sets of emotions but the latter is more vital since a weak credibility affects almost everything else we say and others' perception of it.
Yes- what Afridi did was blatant cheating and was and looked horrendous. What the Pakistani bowlers did in 80's and 90's with soda bottle crowns' to the cricket ball was a clear infringement of laws and they knew it but went about it because no one realised what was happening and just because you are a Pakistani you dont have to go on and on to defend it.
And that's not all.
What Gavaskar did when he called Chauhan to follow him out of the ground on being given out was stupid, silly, and for the captain of an international side (also the greatest opening batsman of the time and a national icon) shameful and I cant defend it just because it hurts my misplaced emotions of patriotism. What Chappell asked his younger brother to do when Kiwis needed six runs to win was disgraceful and it cant be defended just because you are an Aussie.
One can build such a list to include instances involving players of each country. The point is that each instance is deplorable. Trying to defend them just because the player concerned happens to be from your country is not your national duty. Grow up.
Similarly, pointing to the episodes involving other countries and their players does not in anyway reduce the scandalous nature of the transgression of your own countrymen. So stop it.
Grow up. If a player from your country (or even if a citizen or group of people from your country) gets involved in something disgraceful, it is not a reflection on your nation and certainly not on yourself as an individual. Stop feeling defensive about it.
They, those of your countrymen involved, are human beings like others elsewhere, with all the failings and weaknesses that humans are capable of and have been for millennia - why should you pretend that they are incapable of being anything but paragons of virtue? They are not and you know what - that is not a big surprise - for nor are most of us.
