2 min read
For several days, a series of cryptic social media clips featuring former Pakistani cricketers triggered widespread speculation online, with fans trying to decode what appeared to be hints of an unexpected “selection.” The absence of context, combined with familiar faces and loaded terminology, proved enough to fuel debate across platforms before the mystery was finally clarified.
First came comedian and anchorperson Tabish Hashmi, who appeared to “break” inside news about the selection of former players. “Baat yahan tak aa gai hai,” he remarked, setting the tone for what many assumed was a serious development.
This was followed by a series of short video clips from Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik, Abdul Razzaq, and Saeed Ajmal, all members of Pakistan’s 2009 World Cup–winning squad. Each spoke, in varying degrees of ambiguity, about “selection,” with some even hinting at their availability, willingness, and fitness to be considered.
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Given their popularity and massive fan following, these clips were enough to attract immense public attention and speculation. Social media quickly filled with theories about what the “selection” might involve. Some fans believed the former players were being considered for a return to the national setup, others linked it to the Pakistan Super League, while a few speculated that the names were being floated for a cricket-focused panel or segment on Tabish Hashmi’s show.
The speculation was eventually laid to rest with the release of a witty and light-hearted television commercial, which revealed that the entire episode was part of an advertising campaign by Ufone. The “selection” that had dominated online discussion was not related to cricket at all but instead centered on Ufone’s Super 5 package, which allows a user to select four friends or family members and share internet, call, and SMS resources with them as a group of five. In the television commercial, the former players are shown angling to be included in Tabish Hashmi’s Super 5 group, with Hashmi cast as the “selector” who ultimately chooses the four for his circle.
The campaign relied less on explicit messaging and more on cultural shorthand, with familiar faces, a loaded word, and carefully timed hints, which proved sufficient to drive the conversation organically as intended by the advertiser.
