There were tears in his eyes
FI
Home Pakistan suffered a crushing 61-run defeat against arch-rivals India There were tears in his eyes — this is no exaggeration, there really were tears. At the R. Premadasa Stadium after the match, when I moved forward to console the boy in the green shirt, his friends or cousins — whoever they were — reached him before I could. “Oh, are you crying? Haha, when will you grow up? We lost, so what? Stop crying.” He glared at them angrily and said, “I’m not crying; something just got in my eye.” Then he said, “Come on, let’s go to the hotel,” and they walked off. But I knew — that night, many Pakistanis who loved their country had tears in their eyes. Some would have made the same excuse — that something went into their eyes — to avoid mockery. Others might have refused to let their tears fall, afraid of what people would say. Women can cry freely, but men do not have that liberty.
Published: February 17, 2026 11:48 am
Source: The Express Tribune — Read original