HYDERABAD: He has survived a heart attack, suffers from diabetes and has just travelled more than 8,200 miles (13,300km) to watch a cricket match.

Meet Chacha Moham­mad Basheer, likely the only native Pakistan supporter inside the Rajiv Gandhi Intern­ational Stadi­­um where his beloved team began their World Cup campaign on Friday.

“I am the only Pakistani here but my voice and enthusiasm are equal to 100-150 people in the stadium,” Basheer told AFP ahead of Pakistan’s match with the Netherlands.

The 67-year-old Chicago-based Basheer was dressed in a Pakistan flag shirt and even carried a national flag in his hand.

Basheer has already been caught up in the decades-long political tension between Pakistan and India which means this World Cup marks the first time in seven years that a Pakistan team has played in the country.

He claims he was close to being detained last week at Hyderabad airport when he chanted “Pakistan Zindabad” (Long live Pakistan) slogans and waved a Pakistan flag to greet Babar Azam’s team.

“The police took my flag as it was not allowed so I gave it to them,” said Basheer. “But the team’s welcome was fantastic.”

Delays in processing visas has thwarted plans for droves of Pakistan fans to cross the border and support their team.

As a US passport holder, Basheer was able to sidestep that chaos.

“I’m sad that no Pakistani fans have been allowed here, but I’m sure that once the tournament progresses they will come in large numbers as they are waiting for visas,” said Basheer, whose Indian wife is from Hyderabad.

“Pakistan is my country of birth,” adeded Karachi-born Basheer.

“I am lucky that my wife is from India so I have affection for both countries.”

The strained relations between India and Pakis­an have stalled bilateral cricket ties between the two countries since 2012 but they meet only in multi-nation events like the World Cup, World T20 and Asia Cup.

The arch-rivals will clash in a high-octane World Cup game in Ahmedabad on Oct 14.

Published in Dawn, October 7th, 2023