Chacha Cricket who sold his house to watch World Cup in England

Several cricket crazy fans are found mainly in India and Pakistan. They sacrifice their whole life for cricket. One such ardent fan from Pakistan is Chaudhry Abdul Jalil popularly known as ‘Chacha Cricket’.

The 73-year-old fan traverses across the globe to lend unwavering support to the Pakistan cricket team. Chacha Cricket has witnessed more than 500 international matches at several stadiums across the globe so far. Moreover, he has watched three generations of players from various nations.

With India hosting the 2023 edition of the ODI World Cup, Chacha Cricket has hogged the limelight again.

Chacha Cricket’s love for the game started in 1969 when he was just 19. He witnessed his inaugural international match between Pakistan and England at Lahore Stadium. He had little knowledge that the occasion would lay the foundation for his unwavering passion to the game. For over two decades, from 1973 to 1996, he served as an assistant foreman at a water-pumping station in Abu Dhabi.

However, during the 1994 Austral-Asia Cup in Sharjah, he truly left his mark in the game. Clad in his iconic green kurta embellished with corporate logos and armed with his infectious enthusiasm, he captivated the attention of the cricketing world. 

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) extended an offer for him to become the official cheerleader for the national team in 1996.

Chacha Cricket’s enthusiasm for cricket is so much that he even sold his house in Sialkot in 1999 to travel to England for the World Cup when PCB didn’t sponsor him and he had no private sponsors to help him out.