EDITORIAL: Full marks to the Pakistani government for breaking the impasse and allowing its cricket team to participate in the World Cup in India later this year.
It’s already a shame that bitter politics of the subcontinent is allowed to interfere so deeply with the gentleman’s game, but it would have been an outrage if it meddled so far as to keep a former world champion team from participating in the next edition.
The good sense to understand this seems to have prevailed during deliberations of the high-powered committee, formed by the prime minister and headed by the foreign minister, which decided that a tit-for-tat approach following India’s refusal to send its team to the Asia Cup in Pakistan was in nobody’s interest.
Since Pakistan-India cricket has been so obviously contaminated by politics over the last few years, it needs to be mentioned that things were never quite this awkward till the BJP (Bhartiya Janata Party) came to power in Delhi about a decade ago.
Its top selling pro-Hindutva card has a special anti-Pakistan element attached to it, and that tendency has also spilled over into cricket. Unfortunate as that is, it’s sadder still that the ICC (International Cricket Council) turns a blind eye to India’s bullying because its huge cricket-crazy market raises profits like nowhere else.
It’s well within Pakistan’s rights to reciprocate, of course – indeed, some have advised such a route very strongly – but it has always kept its eye on the bigger picture and resisted the urge to let politics influence sports.
In a way, by being the bigger person, so to speak, Islamabad’s gesture has put Delhi on the back foot. It is now for the latter to give the Pakistani team, like all other participants, a fitting welcome and also ensure its safety.
For, one of the issues that often makes it to the headlines across the border is the threat of frenzied mobs ready to attack the Pakistani team. As the clock ticks to the cup, there better not be any truth in such rumours; and if there is, these things better be handled ahead of time.
It’s surprising that the toxicity of the atmosphere created by India seems to have clouded most people’s memories about the intensity of Pakistan-India matches, and the interest and enthusiasm, not to mention the money, they tend to generate.
They also serve as a precious bridge to bring the two countries together. Sportsmen are thorough professionals, after all, and they know better than letting hate – apparently the currency of cross-border politics these days – get in the way of their duty.
Pakistan is scheduled to play India in October. One side will win and one will lose – barring the odd possibility of a tie – and there can be no better outcome than the gracious winner accepting the loser’s congratulations and appreciating a match well played; like all other times the two teams have clashed in the past and the many times they will in future, no doubt.
Pakistan has done the right thing by drawing a line between politics and sports. India should appreciate this decision as the correct one and, since the ball is now in its court, avoid any further controversy.
Surely, it doesn’t need to be reminded that hosting the World Cup is not just a big honour, it’s also a great responsibility. Hopefully, it’ll be smooth sailing from here and the government will let the players give the public their money’s worth.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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