RENAISSANCE JANUARY 2022

39 Monthly Renaissance January 2022 Queries Your Questions Answered Dr Khalid Zaheer Should We take Interest in Cricket and Sports? Question: How times change, a few years ago I was a diehard fan of cricket and football, but things have changed, I do watch sports now but only sometimes and may be just the climax stages of them. I just watched a program on gambling in cricket. I am seriously disturbed by this cricket fever now, I just feel that the devil is playing a big part in it; emotional supporters of both the countries are passing abusive comments, cursing the other team, and you know the rest as well. The way spectators jeer at the players in grounds, and the way so much money and time gets wasted on sports, it is really making me sad. What should be done? One more question is about countries, with time I have just got rid of discrimination against other countries, I just feel we all belong to God. I don’t see any difference in a Pakistani, an Indian or an Israeli. What are your views about all the things I have mentioned? Answer: Your message reminded me of my early days. I was cricket crazy right from the beginning. I inherited the craze from my father. When he died I was not yet nineteen. I lost interest in everything and turned extremely religious. We migrated from Sargodha to Lahore soon afterwards. Not long afterwards the Indian cricket team visited Pakistan. My mother forced me to go and see the match at the Qaddafi stadium. I didn’t like the atmosphere and returned early without watching the entire match. Things have changed since then. I realize that life can’t continue without healthy entertainment within limits of volume and ethics. My love for the game staged a comeback. When I went to study in the UK, I played a lot of cricket. I guess if we know the limits it is