Cricket followers watch the much-anticipated match of the ICC Males’s World Cup 2026 between India and Pakistan in Dallas on Sunday, Feb 15, 2026. — Reporter
DALLAS: Within the hours earlier than Pakistan confronted India in a high-voltage T20 World Cup conflict, anticipation coursed by Pakistani communities throughout Texas.
In Dallas and Houston, group centres, eating places and cafés remodeled into improvised stadiums.
Massive projection screens flickered to life, green-and-white flags had been draped throughout partitions and households from younger youngsters to aged followers gathered with an depth that mirrored the rivalry’s emotional weight.
However because the match unfolded, that anticipation gave solution to seen frustration.
Pakistan’s lacklustre efficiency turned watch events sombre. In Dallas, the place Indian supporters had been additionally current in giant numbers, some Pakistani followers quietly slipped out as the end result turned inevitable.
Just a few acknowledged leaving earlier than the ultimate overs, saying they most well-liked to keep away from the awkward aftermath of defeat in blended firm.
In Houston, the response was no much less charged, although it shortly turned analytical. Followers overtly questioned the crew’s choice technique and known as for sweeping modifications.
Former captain Babar Azam got here below pointed criticism, as did different senior gamers. Some supporters went additional, demanding that what they described as entrenched favouritism inside the squad be dismantled and that underperforming gamers — referred to colloquially by critics as “the two sons-in-law” be dropped in favour of rising expertise.
“We sacrificed our sleep on a day off,” one fan mentioned, explaining that he had pushed a substantial distance to hitch a 7am (native time) screening. “And once again, we are left disappointed.”
A number of attendees particularly cited the exclusion of gamers resembling Khawaja Nafay and Salman Mirza from the taking part in eleven as proof, of their view, that advantage had been overshadowed by patronage.
The sentiment echoed a broader frustration amongst abroad Pakistanis, a lot of whom see cricket not merely as a sport however as a matter of nationwide pleasure.
For members of the diaspora, the defeat was greater than a loss on the scoreboard. It represented, they mentioned, a failure of accountability inside the Pakistan Cricket Board. Followers known as on officers to make sure transparency in crew choice and to prioritise efficiency over private connections, arguing that solely structural reform would restore confidence each at dwelling and overseas.
Because the crowds dispersed throughout Texas, the inexperienced flags had been folded away. What lingered, nonetheless, was not simply disappointment over a single match, however a renewed demand from a worldwide fan base for advantage, reform and a crew able to carrying their hopes with conviction on the world stage.
