The Militant Mullah Mentality Of Pakistani Cricketers

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 24 September 2025 Pakistani cricketers Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan's ugly and unsporting gestures during the Asia Cup match against India in Dubai on Sunday, September 21, have sparked controversy, with politicians also weighing in. One of the Pak players reportedly alluded to the four-day military clash during Operation Sindoor, while another mimicked pointing his bat like a gun, likened to an 'AK-47'. Pakistan's Sahibzada Farhan celebrates his half century during the Asia Cup 2025 Super Four match between India and Pakistan, in Dubai(Creimas/Asian Cricket Council) ----- This militant mullah mentality of the cricketers from Pakistan must be condemned in no uncertain terms. At the moment, Pakistan is one of the most insignificant Test cricket teams along with the once invincible West Indies. A few partisan Pakistani analysts, 'experts' and scribes are of the view that because of the rapidly plummeting standards of Pakistan cricket team, its players are behaving in an undisciplined, uncouth and erratic manner on the field. Well, that could be one of the reasons for the militancy as well as idiocy shown by the Pakistani cricketers but these scribes and apologists must be aware of the fact that the mullah mentality crept into the collective psyche of Pakistan's cricket team long ago when Inzamam ul-Haq and Shahid Afridi were playing for Pakistan. Of course, militant behaviour is the latest addition to that. Inzamam-ul-Haq and Shahid Afridi would blatantly 'invite' Yousuf Youhana and Danish Kaneria to the fold of Islam. While Youhana eventually succumbed to their coercive methods and measures and embraced Islam, Danish is still a Hindu whose career got truncated due to non-compliance with the unacceptable ways of Haq and Afridi. Inviting controversial preachers like Tariq Jamil to team meetings and performing Namaz on the ground and pitch paved the way for today's militant metamorphosis of Pakistan's cricketers. In other words, the rot set in long ago. Decades of unrest, violence, military rule, religiosity segueing into bigotry, increasing clout of Tablighi Jamaat, rank corruption, arrant lawlessness, poverty and finally, lack of education have contributed to the degeneration of Pakistanis. The cricketers have witnessed unabated militancy and bloodshed in their country. All these factors have impacted their overall thinking and social behaviour. Otherwise also, they're already the bad guys of world cricket. So, indulging in unsporting behaviour on the field doesn't bother these uneducated and semi-educated Pakistani cricketers any longer. To quote Mirza Asadullah Khan 'Ghalib', "Kyon Na Firdaus Ko Dozakh Se Mila Dein Ya Rab / Sair Ke Vaaste Thodi-Si Fiza Aur Sahi " (Let's extend heaven to hell / There'll be more scope for a stroll). Now the question is: Should India play with these fanatic and belligerent ruffians or boycott the ongoing Asia Cup in Dubai? ----- A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including Persian. URL: https://www.newageislam.com/current-affairs/militant-mullah-pakistani-cricketers/d/136960 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism