thank you god, afridi and tonkeeponkee (exactly in that order!)

Dear God - it appears that despite being super busy through the ups and downs since those fateful 6 days in which you created this universe, you still havent lost your edge when it comes to producing miracles. Thank you for producing one today. And doing so on the longest day of the year, just so that we the believers have more time to celebrate. I believe! I believe!

Big G, I realize that in return for being patient and steadfast you have made promises for tones of rewards in the other world, not to mention more hoors than I could ever possibly imagine even in my wettest dream. But dear god, when it comes to cricket, please let the rewards shower on us here and now in this world and in these earthly cricket grounds - and do not make us wait till the next world. Is that asking too much?

Dear Afridi - as my chowk friend fouz articulated at the beginning of this world cup "you have played like a pathan for too long. now go on and play like a man". You surely played like a man today - calm, cool, collected and classy where required, but fierily explosive when the right moment arose. A true role model for jihadis all around the world. In acknowledgment for your heroic performance, I ask paki govt to cease bombing your pashtoon folks hideouts for at least the next 24 hours.

Dear TonkeePonkee - it has been 3 agonizingly long years since you began pouring your heart out for this team in these very pages. You drooled over them, you gushingly adored them, you became upset at them too and threatened to give up, but we all knew you werent going anywhere. It is hard not to love paki cricket team - the unruly, the unpredictable, the brash, the boistrous, the troublesome, the proud. And so you turned around and confessed your crush for paki team, one player at a time. You were caught in the classical lovers dilemma - your love tormented you, but your torment in turn intensified your love. You braved cheap comments hurled at you by the squatting hindoos as you gracefully mourned the losses of your team. And when you cheered, you often cheered alone, since the skeptical paki crowd here had become so cyncical with age that your youthful idealism wouldnt cause a stir.

And so tonkee, while you were not with the team as they took their victory lap today and as they proudly lifted the cup with huge smiles, a thought of appreciation for their diehard fans probably did cross their minds. And among those 150 million adoring fans, TonkeePonkee shined the brightest.

Lucky is the team that has you as its fan!