The Muslim holy month of Ramadan is full of traditions. In Pakistan, playing cricket well into the night has become a local custom.

Karachi

During the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, a unique local custom has emerged in Pakistan, integrating the nation's love for cricket into its observance of this sacred time. This practice involves playing cricket games well into the night, a period when the streets come alive with passionate players and enthusiastic spectators. The essence of this tradition lies not only in the enjoyment of the sport but also in fostering community bonds and engagement during the holy month.

This nocturnal cricket phenomenon reflects the country's deep-rooted cricket obsession, serving as a means of entertainment and social gathering during Ramadan. It showcases the adaptation of religious traditions to include contemporary leisure activities, making the holy month a time of spiritual reflection as well as communal enjoyment through sports.



Pakistan's cricket obsession during Ramadan

It's close to midnight in Karachi, but the floodlights draw dozens of men for a game of Ramadan cricket. Late night street cricket has become something of a tradition over the last few decades in this city in Pakistan during the Muslim holy month. And the players say it helps them stay awake until the pre-dawn meal, known as suhoor, before the next day's fast begins. We are free in the night and we have to keep ourselves awake until suhoor. If we sleep, we can miss suhoor. If we miss suhoor, it's difficult to fast. So it's better to get involved in a game of cricket than playing with our mobile phones. Working hours during Ramadan are usually shorter in Pakistan, so players and fans have a few hours to rest before the big game. The tarmac is repainted to mark the crease, tennis balls are taped in white to give them greater bounce, speed and visibility under the lights. And then it's time for the first ball. People often sleep during the day during fasting, they don't do much physical activity during the day. Physical activity is essential for good health, that is walking, running, etc. Cricket covers all of this. Here in one of Karachi's poor neighbourhoods, around 200 spectators have turned out to cheer on the players. Although I don't play, I watch the game with great interest. I like to watch cricket. Some of these boys go to their jobs during the day, while some others sleep during the daytime. They don't have much time, but in Ramadan they get to play cricket into the night. The narrow streets define the physical boundaries of this game, but the appeal of street cricket during the holy month goes way beyond the walls of the apartment blocks.

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