Fasting by day, playing cricket by night
Annabel Symington, in the Wall Street Journal shares an experience of watching a late-night, street cricket match in Karachi during the holy month of Ramadan
01-Aug-2013
During the holy month of Ramadan, after families break their fast at sundown, street-cricket matches pop up across Karachi. Teams from neighbouring areas gather for a game or two, played under tube lights with soft-drink crates for wickets and rules tailor-made for a game on the streets. Annabel Symington, in the Wall Street Journal shares an experience of watching one such match.
Fauzul Azim, Spicy Café team owner who also owns the café, presides over the match as if overseeing a major league. All of his team members are his employees, though he insists that he doesn't recruit staff on the basis of their cricketing prowess.
The café overlooks the pitch, and players have to swap when an order comes in. Kashif Farooq, Spicy Café's BBQ cook, had to leave his position as wicket keeper when a customer turned up wanting a kebab. "This is the advantage of home ground," says Mr. Azim, the owner, with a grin as Mr. Farooq slouches off the pitch to tend the grill.