How a 'fake' Mr. Bean has caused a cricketing rivalry between Zimbabwe and Pakistan
Some fans were clearly expecting Rowan Atkinson back in 2016 but got a Pakistani lookalike instead - an event which has caused cricket's latest grudge match.
Cricket harbours some of sport’s most intense rivalries. Australia v England, Pakistan v India, and now, Zimbabwe v Pakistan.
But what has caused such a bitter build-up to the Super 12 encounter at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup between the latter two nations?
Apparently, a ‘fake’ Mr. Bean who visited Zimbabwe back in 2016.
Replying to a tweet from the Pakistani Cricket Board one disgruntled Zimbabwe fan has clearly not forgotten what he perceives as a slight on his proud nation.
It was a revelation that caused me to dart out of bed, intent on discovering more, and also caused quite the stir on social media - with some fans hoping Sikandar Raza, a Pakistani-born cricketer who has become one of Zimbabwe’s star players could perhaps help ease diplomatic tension.
But it was clear this fervent feeling ran deep. Some Zimbabweans felt duped and revenge would be sought between wickets.
For those uninitiated, Mr. Bean was a near-universally beloved character played by British comedian Rowan Atkinson. Due to his muteness, he had no language barrier, making him a global icon in the 1990s.
But obviously, fans were not expecting Rowan Atkinson. Right?
Wrong?
I mean, explain this?
It’s reportedly footage of ‘Mr. Bean’ arriving in Zimbabwe, with what appears to be a police escort, greeting adoring fans with fist bumps and handshakes. You can hear an enthused gathering not only shouting “Mr. Bean” but also “Johnny English” - a dimwitted dickhead of a spy also played by Rowan Atkinson. The confusion was clear.
But this was not Atkinson. Instead, it was Asif Muhammad, a Pakistani tribute act known, ingeniously, as Mr. Pak Bean.
This rivalry, being coined ‘El Beanico’ (by me) does appear to stem from a 2016 tour of Zimbabwe embarked upon by one Mr. Pak Bean - one which either by design, or accident, had some Zimbabweans expecting the Twiglet-painting real deal.
I needed to know more.
What is clear is that Mr. Pak Bean was brought to Zimbabwe by a company called Splash Paints - initially to appear at their marquee at the Harare Agricultural Show In September 2016. He would then go on to do a number of comedy shows across the country.
But there was clearly confusion from the get-go.
On August 22, 2016, Bulawayo 24 News suggested it was the real deal touching down in Zimbabwe but that “getting adequate information” from Splash Paints about the visit was proving “an uphill task”.
But the next day, News Day reported quite clearly that this was a Mr. Bean impersonator, with spokesperson Agrippa Juma stating:
“As we want to promote our brand through laughter, we are proud to be bringing to Zimbabwe, for the first time ever, hilarious comedian, Mr. Pak Bean. Before his maiden show on September 3, he will share moments of laughter with local comedy lovers at Splash Paints and Plastic Manufacturer’s stand at Harare Agricultural Show.”
Clearly, however, some Zimbabweans were left duped. Reports at the time suggested a “commotion” upon Pak Bean’s arrival at what was then known as Harare International Airport (now known as Robert Mugabe International Airport) which, with all due respect to the lookalike, surely suggests locals were expecting the ‘real’ Bean. Pak Bean, with his 61 Twitter followers, was not that guy.
Judging by one Facebook event, with a seemingly ambiguous ‘Pak’ between ‘Mr’ and ‘Bean’, it is reasonable to understand why some locals were expecting full Bean.
Turns out, according to a report (hilariously entitled ‘Pak Bean is the real deal’) in the Sunday Mail at the time that one of the bosses at Splash Paints saw Pak Bean performing at a trade fair in Dubai and decided to bring him to Africa. In doing so, he created a division in sports that nobody could have predicted.
But for Pak Bean and Splash Paints, it appears they just wanted to spread a little joy to the lives of the people of Zimbabwe six years ago - as these quotes from the Sunday Mail suggest.
Unfortunately, he left a bitter taste that has festered into what I can only hope will soon become cricket’s greatest rivalry.
But at least he made some people smile in Harare, right? Wrong. According to one review of his show, it was a “colossal disappointment” with such little laughter that the conversations of children in attendance overshadowed the main event.
And thus, a rivalry for the ages was born.