Over the past few days, social media timelines in Pakistan were dominated by a familiar word, ‘selection’. It all began when short video clips featuring former national cricket players Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik, Abdul Razzaq, and Saeed Ajmal began circulating online, in which they dropped hints about selection and being “in the frame” once again.

In a cricket-obsessed country, retired players speaking ambiguously about a possible return to action was enough to spark widespread speculation. Social media quickly went into a furore. Fans started asking if a comeback was on the cards. A special assignment? Or some form of symbolic inclusion? The involvement of comedian and television host Tabish Hashmi, seemingly “breaking” the news in his characteristic tone, further blurred the line between humour and credibility.

As the clips spread across platforms, interpretations multiplied and speculations grew. Some users treated the comments as light-hearted teasers, while others read them as genuine hints. What kept the conversation alive was the absence of clarity; no confirmations, no denials, and no explicit context.

The curiosity built to the point that even the Sultan of Swing, Wasim Akram, appeared intrigued.

Finally, the explanation, when it arrived, had nothing to do with cricket.

With the release of an amusing television commercial, it became clear that the entire episode had been pointing toward a marketing campaign by Pakistani telecom company, Ufone. The “selection” in question referred not to a national squad, but to the idea of choosing a personal group, a central feature of Ufone’s Super 5 package, which allows users to select four friends or family members and share mobile resources such as data, calls, and SMS within that circle.

Ufone released the commercial across its social media pages with the caption, “Asal selection tou Super 5 ki thi.” The commercial placed the earlier hints in context. Rather than competing for a place in a cricketing setup, the former players are shown jostling to be included in Tabish Hashmi’s own Super 5 group. The reveal lands with Hashmi announcing that he has “selected” all four players, not for a team, but for his Super 5 circle, allowing them to share the package’s bundled resources.

The players themselves joined in on the joke once the reveal was made. Saeed Ajmal, in a tongue-in-cheek post, wrote, “Asal science ye thi.”

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Shoaib Malik added, “Debate yeh thi ke selection ho gi ya nahi. Meri tou Super 5 mein ho gayi 😁.”

https://x.com/realshoaibmalik/status/2020485673644327076

Younis Khan echoed the humour, posting, “Main itna fit hoon ke Super 5 mein select ho gaya hoon 😌.”

https://x.com/YounisK75/status/2020486436084953164

Actor Aiza Awan also gave a shoutout to the campaign, posting: “Ufone ke paas data bohaaaaaaaattt hai…”

The campaign followed a familiar Ufone playbook. The telecom operator has previously leaned on ambiguity and humour to generate curiosity before revealing the message. A notable example was an earlier campaign featuring Babar Azam, where teaser content hinted that the cricketer’s phone had gone missing before the reveal clarified that it was prone to being “lost” simply because it carried an unusually large amount of data, an idea well captured in the now-recognisable line: “Data bohhaaat hai.”

The episode highlights how easily narratives take shape in Pakistan’s digital ecosystem, particularly when humour, sport, and nostalgia intersect. It also reflects Ufone’s long-running preference for teasing, tongue-in-cheek advertising that blurs the boundary between entertainment and promotion, often leaving audiences guessing until the very end.