VIDEO: Internet reacts to Maryam Nawaz's 'cricket' promo

A unique advertisement showcasing Chief Minister (CM) Punjab Maryam Nawaz’s one-year performance as provincial executive has sparked debate online.

The advertisement appeared on the internet on Friday, showing Pakistan’s female cricket team in hot water. Just when defeat seems inevitable, the team's all-round captain player named Maryam rescues the team while playing a winning knock.

“We have to win the match, send the captain to the ground; she can change the game,” the coach asks another player after Pakistan loses its fifth wicket.

The skipper, named Maryam, enters the ground with the crowd erupting in excitement, waving posters that read, “We need a century.”

On the very first ball, Maryam hits a massive six out of the stadium. A farmer who was standing beside a green tractor in his fields picks up the ball. This depicts CM Punjab's November 2024 relaunch of the green tractor scheme for farmers after a hiatus of 12 years.

The captain hits another six, landing the ball near the mobile healthcare van, referring to Maryam Nawaz’s multiple recently launched healthcare projects, including Clinics on Wheel, Air Ambulances and Field Hospitals. 

The next six lands near a street sweeper, referring to CM Punjab’s ‘Suthra Punjab Program’ across the province, which was launched in July 2024. Captain's match-winning six also lands out of the park with a student catching the ball while wearing a graduation gown. Multiple students were seen in the ad busy working on the CM Punjab’s laptop, referring to the Laptop Scheme for students across the province.

The ad concluded with the commentator praising Maryam’s inning, saying, “Maryam has saved the game.” 

Choosing cricket-style advertising to showcase CM Punjab’s performance in one year has started a row on the internet.

Mocking the CM’s cricket-style advertisement, prominent journalist Mansoor Ali Khan on his YouTube channel on Saturday (today) stated that Nawaz’s team did not know about media handling, viewing the jailed ex-premier Imran Khan’s achievement for Pakistan in cricket.

Internet users were also quick to react to the advertisement. One user took to X (formerly Twitter), alleging, “Maryam Nawaz's new gift for the people of Punjab—an advertisement paid for with their own money! Why is she so eager to become the captain?”

Another user, while pointing out several flaws in the advertisement, stated that CM Punjab’s team can't even make a proper advertisement. “Three players sitting next to each other. Where is game sense,"  asked another user.

“Wicket out hunay par empire ungli oper nahi krta, ad banany sey pehly homework tu kr lete (the umpire doesn’t raise his finger on a wicket out—at least do your homework before making an ad," mocked another user.