Symbolic leadership, political legitimacy, and cricket fandom withdrawal amid Imran Khan’s imprisonment
Contemporary South Asia, 2026 (AHCI, SSCI, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1080/09584935.2026.2741686
- Dergi Adı: Contemporary South Asia
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Arts and Humanities Citation Index (AHCI), Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, IBZ Online, Educational research abstracts (ERA), Geobase, Historical Abstracts, Index Islamicus, Political Science Complete, Public Affairs Index, Political Science Abstract (IPSA), Social Sciences Abstracts, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Social Science Premium Collection (ProQuest), Political Science Database (ProQuest), Sociology Source Ultimate (EBSCO)
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Cricket fandom, moral withdrawal, political legitimacy, symbolic athlete, symbolic protest
- Sivas Cumhuriyet Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
This study examines how political crises, perceived institutional illegitimacy, and symbolic leadership shape fan engagement with national cricket among a segment of Pakistani fans following the imprisonment of Imran Khan. Drawing on 25 in-depth interviews with Pakistani cricket fans who altered or ceased engagement following the imprisonment of Imran Khan, the study employs reflexive thematic analysis within an interpretivist–constructivist framework. The analysis reveals that participants interpreted cricket governance as politically embedded, morally compromised, and symbolically aligned with state power, leading to conditional fandom, symbolic boycott, emotional withdrawal, and debates over the contamination of sport by politics. The findings suggest that disengagement among these fans in Pakistan operates less as organized protest and more as individualized moral positioning rooted in national identity and symbolic leadership. By situating sport fandom within broader struggles over legitimacy, morality, and belonging in contemporary South Asia, the study contributes to understanding how political crises reshape everyday cultural practices beyond formal political arenas.