Many Sri Lankans speak of a decades-old bond between the two South Asian nations – in cricket and beyond.
Colombo, Sri Lanka – Kalana Weerasinghe’s love affair with Pakistan’s cricket team began 27 years ago, when Sri Lanka beat Australia to win its maiden Cricket World Cup in Pakistan’s eastern metropolis of Lahore.
The image of former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto handing over the glistening gold and silver winner’s trophy to then Sri Lanka captain Arjuna Ranatunga is etched in his mind.
He also fondly remembers how Lahore’s packed Gaddafi Stadium was unabashedly partisan in Sri Lanka’s favour.
Every boundary off the bat of former cricketer Aravinda De Silva was greeted with loud cheers as thousands of Pakistanis waved Sri Lanka flags.
Now whenever the Pakistani cricket team plays in his city, Colombo, Weerasinghe makes it a point to put on his green Pakistan replica shirt and head to the stadium.
“I will never forget how all Pakistanis backed us then, so I have been backing Pakistan ever since,” he told Al Jazeera during Pakistan’s Asia Cup Super 4 match against India at the R Premadasa Stadium on Sunday.
Source: Khaleej Times
