The photo of a 15-year-old teenager from India’s Bhopal city has gone viral on the internet following her admiration for Pakistan captain Babar Azam and team Pakistan.
The teen cricket fan, Alisha, has proven that Babar’s fandom goes beyond borders, owing to his cricketing prowess and sportsmanship.
The teenager was spotted cheering for Pakistan and waving its flag in the stands during ICC World Cup 2023 in India, as Pakistan played against the Netherlands in Hyderabad.
Alisha travelled from Bhopal to arrive in the city, which is currently hosting the Green Shirts, only to watch one of her favourite cricketers play at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, among other spectators also lauding Pakistan in the stadium.
Alisha plans to fly back to her hometown eventually, but little did she know that she’d be famous for being a prominent addition to Hyderabad’s grandstand after she covered her head with a green scarf and waved Pakistan’s flag.
Alisha, who was accompanied in the stands by her mother, gave the Chicago-based “Chacha”, Mohammad Bashir, some tough competition.
While Pakistani fans are finding it difficult to reach India amid a delay in visa issuance, the Green Shirts have found some support from local Indian fans in Hyderabad.
“I have been a fan of Babar for the past four years. I started a fanpage as well on social media but deactivated as I had to focus on my studies,” the teenager said, speaking to PTI, an Indian press agency.
The love for cricket, she added, runs in the family, as both her parents are also massive fans of Pakistani veteran cricketers Shahidi Afridi and Javed Miandad. While Alisha’s mother is a fan of Afridi, her father admires Miandad’s cricket.
“It is good to see that people are supporting both the teams. I am an Indian first and love the likes of Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli but I also have the same love for Babar. I hope the relations between the countries get better one day,” she said.
The Babar Azam fan is aiming to get hold of the much-anticipated Pakistan vs India game’s ticket. She plans to stay back to witness the rivals face one another in the grand match on October 10 before heading home.
