Tuesday, August 19, 2008

A Word on Cricket

Many people don't understand cricket. Many think its a ridiculous sport where about 90% of the total playing population are doing nothing for the vast majority of the game, while a chosen few run up and down the same small stretch of turf for hours on end. If this is what you think, then shame on you.

Cricket is easily the single greatest diplomatic undertaking that Australia has made in recent history. It is the ultimate ice-breaker and friendship maker on the road. You can arrive dirty, dishevelled, smelly and soaking wet with sweat to a tea stall in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan, and when the bearded, turbanned, robe wearing Pakistani man behind the counter hears those few special words "I'm from Australia", tea pours from the heavens, smiles appear left and right, and fountains of praise for Ricky Ponting, Shane Warne, Adam Gilchrist shower forth!!

However even this is not enough to ease the tension of the next quesion "you are Muslim?", "no" "Why not?"...

In the past week I have cycled from Islamabad to Gilgit, through Indus Kohistan (that translates to Mountain-istan...for good reason). I just clocked up the 1000th kilometer, and things are going pretty well. People continue to be super friendly, and the scenery continues to get better and better. On the road I keep being passed by pick-up trucks full of bearded, turbanned dark skinned men in long robes, who look like they've come straight out of a blockbuster hollywood war movie and simply forgot their guns at the last stop, and inevitably they go past smiling, waving and shouting words of support (I think its support...to be honest I can't really understand what they're saying)

unfortunately, photos aren't working again...

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi,this is nanako.I could find your blog. your trip seems fantastic!! I'll try to read your daiary. I can also have fan with your trip. see you ,
take care!!

Anonymous said...

Hi This is Kashif & Abid from Pakistan Lahore.
we are reading your dairy your trip is very fantastic.we will try to read your fantastic trip stories all the time.
Best of luck.
See you Take Care.

Anonymous said...

Hi This is Kashif & Abid from Pakistan Lahore.
we are reading your dairy your trip is very fantastic.we will try to read your fantastic trip stories all the time.
Best of luck for ypur fantstic trip.
See you Take Care.

Scott Banister-Jones said...

Hey shervs!
Sounds pretty warm mate. Send some of that hot goodness our way. So what do you say when they start talking cricket? So how about this weather... So how those dockers going...
Nah, neither of those would be mch good.
Your trip sounds like so much fun. Next time I'm coming!

Cheers,

BJ

B.C. Rogers said...

First of all, you have no idea how ridiculous Cricket looks to someone who doesn't know how the game is played, second, I will say that once you do understand it, (or at least think you do), it becomes more exciting but no more ridiculous.

Also, I highly commend you on your trip and am following closely!

patience said...

how exciting is this!???

PAKISTAN!

patience said...
This comment has been removed by the author.