INDIA – PAKISTAN CRICKET TIES THREATENED ONCE AGAIN

The rivalry between India and Pakistan has long been considered one of the most intense in the world. Similar to high-profile football derbies, but with a history to boot.

This is a guest post hosted by The Cricketer.

An Empire Divided

Although we speak of rivalry between two cricket teams, there is another side to the story. Cricket is just one of its manifestations. During the British Rule, the whole of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh formed part of what was then known as “British India”. When in 1947, demarcations for the partitions were drawn, 14 million people were displaced and violence ensued over the land. Echoes of that fighting resound until this very day. Although not on a scale as large as in the past, fighting across borders still occurs, with bombings in major cities believed to have been provocations from their neighbouring enemies. 

Sport as Victim

Prior to the partitioning of British India, India and Pakistan shared a common cricket heritage. The British brought the sport to their shores and the people made it their own. It is a shared joke in these countries that children learn how to play cricket before they can walk, so intense is their love for the sport. However, despite this common passion, cricket has thus far failed to bring permanent peace between the two nations. The first Test series occurred in 1951/52 when Pakistan toured India and subsequently, India toured Pakistan in 1954/55. However, due to bloody wars in 1965 and 1971, no games were played between 1962 and 1977. Further wars in later years also interrupted cricket matches. It is regarded as a pity in the whole sporting world that two of the strongest cricket teams worldwide are prevented from playing on home ground. Not just because of the conflict but also because the two nations live and breathe their national sport. It is the most wagered sport in the entire area and the players are considered national heroes. Undue pressure, however, is often put on the players when they face each other on the pitch and at times, a degree of violence towards losing players is also displayed.

Terrorism off the Pitch

In a recent meeting of the Parliament’s consultative committee on external affairs, Indian External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, expressed the government’s vehemence against terrorism perpetrated by Pakistan. Swaraj hinted that no bilateral cricket matches between Pakistan and India will take place following cross-border firing. This sets a dark tone for any possible future bilateral matches between India and Pakistan as, the minister says, the actions are not “conducive to a sporting exchange”. The minister pointed out 800 incidents of violations in this respect and affirmed that while humanitarian approaches have been taken, the number of firings still does not bode well for a potential bilateral cricket match. This is only the latest in a string of events which pushed this intense cricket match away from international cricket calendars.

Sports to Ease Tension

It is the classical tale of sport used to bring divided factions together, as was the case with rugby in South Africa, where it helped to dispel apartheid and bring harmony among the people. Cricket matches between India and Pakistan have been seen as a form of “cricket diplomacy” where Heads of State may exchange visits, allowing cricket fans to travel from one country to another. However, it has not been so in recent times. The Government of India went so far as to issue a bill prohibiting Indian players from playing in Pakistan, a huge setback for any conciliatory plans. However, this does not mean that India and Pakistan may never play against each other again. Neutral states that are on friendly terms with both countries often host these matches – with tremendous success. The last one was in June 2017 where Pakistan beat India in the ICC Champions Trophy Final in London. In 2015, tickets for India – Pakistan in the World Cup to be held in Australia were sold out in a total of 12 minutes. The match itself reached 288 million spectators on TV.

A Way Forward

Test Championship and ICC ODI League fixtures and schedules have been severely criticized for not including any meaningful matches between India and Pakistan. Fans and journalists are going as far as to saying that this is “killing cricket’s greatest rivalry”. Although the power of sport as a uniting element is strong, it takes a whole nation believing in it to succeed – in this case two nations. While we hope these two great teams get the chance to make battle again in the near future, we also wish neutral countries will continue giving the teams their whole-hearted support, so that fans can still get to enjoy this clash of titans.