More cricket----More religion!

Having watched cricket all my life, the decidedly religious touch of the Pakistan Cricket team continues fascinating me. Check out this fresh picture of the team praying in Jamah:

Pakistan's cricket members offer evening prayers at the end of
their practice session in Lahore, Pakistan, December 9, 2005.

Pakistan cricket team's captain says in a recent interview:

"..........Inzamam believes success has come due to religious faith and prayers.

“We pray together and it has helped us bond as a team. Take care and support each other. It has taught us to be forgiving and helped us become more united.

“We don’t have any great players like in the past. But this team is more close and determined,” he said.

Inzamam, who sports a full-grown beard, aside from cricket also takes part in spreading the word of Islam.

He dismisses fears about the team becoming a hub for religious extremism.

“Islam does not preach forcing others for prayers. But saying prayers is a duty and gives you peace of mind.

There is no pressure on anyone to say his prayers. It is a wrong impression that I am forcing anyone to become religious......."

Another article emphasizes the role of religon when the players are playing and quoted an unnamed player :

".............The player also explained that at the start of the each session when the players huddle together they recite special Dua and Suraas. "One reason why the team has started to come back from difficult situations is that the philosophy in the team now is that the players can only work hard and play with commitment, the rest is with Allah," the unidentified player added. (ANI)..."

Even Pakistan cricket team's freehearted soul and poster boy Shoaib Akhtar has joined in:

"...........Akhtar observed that praying five times a day had united the team.

"The difference between this team and ones I have played in the past is of Namaz [prayers].............."

An older interview with Saeed Anwar who is attributed with starting these changes ( he turned to Islam when his daughter died). Here he talks about his teammates Saqlain:

".....Anwar said his talk that he was able to convince Saqlain Mushtaq to spend half a day with the Jamat, offering prayers in mosque and taking a round of one's own residential area and calling the people to prayers (which is called gasht in Tabligh parlance). Saqlain joined us after Friday prayers. We had food and after a session of religious teachings we asked Saqlain to do the gasht in his residential area and call people to offer prayers. In the company of religious scholars later, Saqlain offered obligatory prayers, listened to the sermons, had dinner with group, offered Isha prayers and went to sleep. "The next morning Saqlain came to me and said, 'What was this dose that you gave me last night?' Earlier I used to toss in bed all night and would not be able to sleep till 8 in the morning. I needed sleeping pills. What dose did you give me? I slept after Isha prayers and just woke up. And I feel damn hungry, get me some food...."

And to end this post here are audios from a Tabligh session ( in Urdu with Punjabi intro). The speakers are Inzamam ( Pakistan Cricket team Captain), Saeed Anwar ( x-cricket player) and Junaid Jamshed ( former pop music star who now sings naats) :

Interview part 1
Interview part 2

More cricket! More religion!