There was a time when the sub-continent would grind to a halt when India faced warring neighbours Pakistan in any cricket match.
Sold-out signs went up minutes after ticket booths opened. Then, the only chance one could secure ducats was to grab hawkers who charged a small fortune.
But that frenzy is dying out. The two India-Pakistan confrontations in the Asia Cup in the sands of the United Arab Emirates saw wide swathes of empty seats when these two giants faced each other.
These two encounters were full of tension and reached a boiling point on more than one occasion. In previous years there used to be an on-field camaraderie between the players. But that, too, came to a shattering halt in Dubai.
It started with the Indian players refusing to shake hands with their counterparts. A gentleman’s game is now being dragged through muddy waters and this toxicity has spilled on-field since the Indian team takes orders directly from its government.
Where does this blatant interference leave the International Cricket Council, the governing body of the sport? Will there be any reaction from an organization that appears toothless? In recent months it has turned a blind eye to Cricket Canada hiring a CEO who has been charged with theft and fraud by Calgary Police.
The India-Pakistan match was considered the hottest ticket in sports, on par with soccer’s Glasgow Celtic and Glasgow Rangers or Real Madrid versus Barcelona. The empty seats in Dubai should send shock waves to the ICC as it rakes in millions of dollars in ticket sales and whopping television sponsorship when these neighbours meet.
In a World Cup encounter in 2019, these super-giants attracted a worldwide TV audience of 273 million with more than 50 million digital-only viewers.
The ICC also has boosted its coffers by fixing the draw of the major competitions it runs — the World Cup and the World Twenty20 Cup. Can you imagine the ICC deliberately placing these two teams in the same group so it can cash in on the game’s ultimate draw?
But it appears this cash cow of unprecedented viewership is drying up. India’s Twenty20 skipper Suryakumar Yadav turned the screws on Pakistan and the ICC when he was asked about the India-Pakistan rivalry after the Super Four encounter.
“I feel that you should stop asking this question on the rivalry,” he said. “For the record, India have now beaten Pakistan in seven straight games (since its previous loss to them at the Asia Cup in 2022 in Dubai). According to me, if two teams play 15-20 matches and if (head-to-head) it is 7-7 or 8-7, then that is called a rivalry. But 13-0, 10-1 … I don’t know what the stats are, but this is not a rivalry anymore.”
In the Super Fours, Pakistan managed 171 for five with Sahibzada Farhan making 58. India replied with 174 for four with openers Abhishek Sharma plundering 74 from 39 balls and Shubman Gill making 47 off 28 balls.
It was no surprise the captains did not acknowledge each other at the toss and the two teams did not shake hands after the match.
There were several heated flashpoints that called for the umpire to step in to keep Sharma and Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf at bay.
Pakistan was unlucky to lose opener Fakhar Zaman for 15 after being caught behind, a decision that left many stunned. With all the technology at its fingertips, one expected a fair judgement.
There has been no love lost between these two nuclear-armed nations, on and off the field, as they have gone to war on four occasions.
Things took a turn for the worse earlier this year after India accused Pakistan of an attack in Pahalgam in Kashmir that killed 25 Indians. After that incident, India threatened to boycott the Asia Cup, but then relented and decided to play as the president of the ICC happens to be Jay Shah, whose father is a right-hand man of India premier Narendra Modi.
India and Pakistan could also meet in Sunday’s final and India already has asked that the president of the Asian Confederation Mohsin Naqvi not present the trophy if it reaches the final.
This is another small-minded act from India as Naqvi happens to be a Pakistani. What a shame that India continues to involve politics in sport.
RIDEAU HALL CRICKET
There was a friendly cricket match between members of parliament and sports officials at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Tuesday. More than a dozen delegates from across Canada were in the capital to talk to parliamentarians to secure an investment in a world-class, multi-purpose international cricket stadium. “Cricket is one of Canada’s fastest-growing sports, uniting communities and engaging youth nationwide,” said Hassan Mirza, one of the organizers. “We seek federal partnership to unlock its full potential – beginning with a world-class multi-purpose cricket stadium that will drive tourism, create jobs and showcase Canada on the international stage.”
Check out our sports section for the latest news and analysis.