Cricketer Caught In Conflict Terrorist, Traitor Or A Talented Cricketer? SPOTLIGHT Four years ago not many people knew who Parvez Rasool was. In 2009, there was a challenge before the then 20-year-old humble boy from a small South Kashmir town of Bijbehara to prove to the Indians andtheir media that he was a cricketer; not a terrorist. Four years later, in 2013, there is a new challenge beforethis now the 24-year-old famous cricketer to prove to the Kashmiris and their media that he is a cricketer;not a traitor. The costs of living in a conflict zone are huge. And all of us pay in one way or the other for living in a conflict zone like Kashmir. Rasool the cricketer is paying that cost too. A well-meaning and able religious scholar once told me in a private conversation that hopelessness is a sin in Islam, addingthat when it comes to hypocrisy, double standards and confusion, Kashmir remains a hopeless case! As an optimist, I expressed hope thatthings will change for good. I haven’tchanged my opinion. But it is not easy to be an optimist in a land of hardcore cynics. Cricket enthusiasts will vividly remember when in 2009 Jammu and Kashmir’s batsman Rasool was in the news for all the wrong reasons. He was detained by Karnataka police on suspicion for several hours for his sports kit bag allegedly showed traces of explosives. Police had picked him up for questioning. But soon the forensicreport cleared him. The allegation was just an allegation. He was not a terrorist. Imagine the psychological impact of this incident on this Kashmiri cricketer who was playing cricket in an Indian city of Bangalore. A Champions League match between Cape Cobras and Victoria scheduled at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium got delayed for couple of hours for security reasons. It was October 17, 2009. Only four days after this incident, Rasool came in to bat and scored a brilliant 69 in their CK Naidu Trophy game against Karnataka. This knock certainly meant a lot for this the thenlesser-known individual. He let his bat do all the talking. He did not panic. He chose to fight back to play cricket and also prove that he was not a terrorist. He did both. “I wantedto prove I am a cricketer, not a terrorist,” he had said at that time. After being selected for the Indian national team on July 5, 2013 for Zimbabwe tour, Rasool is finding himself at the crossroads. Some cynics in Kashmir are seeing in him atraitor. Others are calling him a “symbol of Indian occupation”. For some he remains a hero. For few others a villain. I believe he is a hardworking cricketer. This young lad, an off-spinning all-rounder, has had a fantastic Ranji season (2012-13). Rasool ended the season as Jammu and Kashmir’s top scorer and highestwicket-taker. Not only did he score 594 runs at a decent average of 54, Rasool also took 33 wickets. Playing for India A side, he claimed 7 for 45 against the visiting Australian side inChennai in February this year. In the cash-rich Indian Premier League of T20 cricket, he played a couple of matches representing the Pune Warriors India and on his IPL debut surprised everyone by claiming the prized scalp of South African swashbuckling allrounder Jacques Kallis. Why ostracize this poor lad who has earned name for himself by dint of hard-work and perseverance. True, his inclusion into the Indian national side has polarized people in Kashmir and divided opinions. There are conflicting and contrasting positions taken. Some are even taking solace inconspiracy theories. Why can’t we talk about Rasool’s cricketing credentials and achievements which are there for us in real rather than believe in conspiracy theories and political gimmickry which may or may not bea reality! An intelligent Kashmiri leader informed me in a private meeting that after 2008 anti-India uprising, the nervous Indian think tank had decided to open up India and its markets for Kashmiris in all spheres with an aim to integrate them with India. He strongly feels that Shah Faesal topping the IAS examinations and Parvez Rasool getting a nod for playing for team India are all part of that integration scheme. I can’t prove him wrong. Because I don’t know. But what I do know is that even if it is all part of a larger Indian scheme and design, it won’t change the political discourse in Kashmir. When India will be playing against Pakistan in future, Kashmiris would still sit on the prayer mat praying for Rasool’s success, may be a fifty and three wickets, but would want India to lose in any case! As one of my journalist friends put it nicely the other day that even if eleven Kashmiris make the Indian playing eleven, Kashmiris will still cheer for the opposite team. That sums it up nicely. (Writer is a journalist with international experience. He writes for Dawn. com and has served as Editor at Deutsche Welle (Voice of Germany) in Bonn, Germany. Previously, he has contributed features for the BBC.)
Posted on: Mon, 08 Jul 2013 08:29:39 +0000
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