“It happens, brother, it happens. That’s how sports are. Sometimes you move forward, sometimes backward; sometimes there is joy, sometimes sorrow.”
Pakistan cricket team’s most famous and passionate supporter, Abdul Jalil, popularly known as “Chacha Cricket,” has announced his retirement this year. He will support the national team live from the stadium for the last time during the third and final ODI against Australia in Lahore.
The 77-year-old Abdul Jalil, known worldwide as Chacha Cricket, first watched a cricket match in a stadium during England’s tour of Pakistan in 1968 in Lahore. During the 1980s and 1990s, his presence at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium earned him a unique identity among cricket fans, with his green outfit and enthusiasm becoming his trademark.
For decades, he traveled around the world to support Pakistan’s cricket team, even leaving his job to dedicate his life entirely to cricket. He was also present with the team during the 1999 Cricket World Cup.
Chacha Cricket said he hopes to establish a cricket museum and restaurant near his hometown of Sialkot, where he plans to preserve his memorabilia.
He added that his goal was to support Pakistan in 500 matches, a milestone he has now achieved. He said he always tried to present a positive image of Pakistan to the world.
Recalling memorable moments, he highlighted the historic 1986 Sharjah match in which Javed Miandad hit a last-ball six to secure victory for Pakistan, and described Pakistan’s triumph over India in the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy Final as one of his happiest memories.
Although some defeats, particularly the 2011 World Cup semi-final and a match in the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, remain painful memories for him, he remains hopeful that Pakistan’s cricket team will rise again.
In his trademark style, Chacha Cricket said:
“It happens, brother, it happens. That’s how sports are. Sometimes you move forward, sometimes backward; sometimes there is joy, sometimes sorrow.”
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