Mohan Sharma and Aslam Siddique reside in the same colony. They are in a similar line of business for long and have been competitors. In happier times, they have collaborated on projects but off late, the tender wars have led to serious business rivalry. So serious that Mrs Sharma and Mrs Siddique have stopped seeing eye-to-eye in society kitty parties. But their sons? Monu and Ali go to same school and love playing together post classes. The other kids and residents in the colony enjoy their company, and want them together. Mr. and Mrs. Sharma and Mr. and Mrs. Siddique leave no stone unturned to ensure their kids do not mingle. Full Cricket Scorecard: India vs West Indies, 4th Test match
You do not need a moral science teacher to step up and say that the parents are not being fair. I agree that the India-Pakistan political scenario that leads to the cricketing fortunes is far more complicated than the above. But sometimes ‘complications’ are as complicated as we want them to be. For once, let us try to simplify things and not victimise the sport and its fans that unites the archrivals.
No.1 and No.2
In every sport, tennis or the popular WWE, the marquee events are the clash between the two top competitors. Be it Sampras-Agassi, Federer-Nadal, Real Madrid-Barcelona, The Rock-Triple H or anything similar. Nothing beats the excitement of contests between the best and the No.1 contender.
An Australian whitewash at the hands of Sri Lanka meant India’s ascend to the No.1 position with Pakistan at No.2 in the latest ICC Test rankings. We have a young Indian skipper in Virat Kohli, who is hell-bent to ensure India’s supremacy for a long period and quite contrastingly, Pakistan have a 42-year-old man Misbah-ul-Haq, marshalling the troops and is determined to leave the cricket in the nation at a better place. ALSO READ: The day Pakistan became Misbah-ul-Haq
It is a shame that the No.1 and No. 2 side do not play Test cricket. The last time these two sides played in a Test was nine years back. A time when Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble still played, MS Dhoni had not led India in a Test and Virat Kohli was not even the India Under-19 captain, let alone him being a household name.
The tragic terror attacks that Mumbai suffered on November 26, 2008, played the role of a catalyst in destroying cricketing ties between the two nations. Innocents died, Pakistan cricketers got banned from Indian Premier League (IPL) and the guiltless cricket fans across the globe were deprived of quality cricket.
Cut to present and a possible dream
In December 2015, there were talks of India and Pakistan playing in an ODI series but that did not happen. While the two sides have sporadically met in limited-overs clash in the recent times, the possibility of them playing Tests looks bleak.
India being a superior limited-overs outfit have dominated the recent contests but it is the traditional format which will actually test the archrivals and it is a contest that cricket in general is missing out.
There are pundits predicting Test cricket’s demise. The empty stands during India-West Indies series in contrast to the packed grounds in same places during the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) is an indicator that the pristine format is losing out in some zones.
Even in India, the filled up stands for Test have now become a part of folklore. In situations as such, think of a strong Indian side facing an equally robust Pakistan in a Test series in India. One of Test could be a pink ball experiment under lights.
What is at stake?
At stake is the No. 1 Test crown and of course, the interest of the fans and revived interest in this format. Does it not sound like a cricket fan’s dream? In fact, more than that. Indo-Pak contests transcends beyond cricket fans.
Reality
The likes of Kohlis and Ashwins have not played Pakistan yet. Misbah, at 42, has just played 3 Tests against India. An Indian and Pakistani cricketer’s CV is incomplete without achievements against each other. When the passion is such, we have deprived a generation of playing against each other. Cricket has a huge fan base amongst teenagers, and the younger lot will never understand the intensity of Indo-Pak Tests.
For Test cricket to be alive and kicking, India and Pakistan need to play as much as Australia and England, in The Ashes. With them placed in the top half (now ranked 1 and 2), it makes even more sense. ALSO READ: India vs West Indies: Virat Kohli, give the Indian Olympics team a boost
Sentiments
Die-hard cricket fans want the sides to play but there are some like Murli Shankar, a middle-aged right wing neighbour, who has shared different views.
“Their army and terrorists are killing innocent people in my country. They have Dawood Ibrahim and Hafeez Saeed roaming freely. We should not allow Pakistan to come, play and earn money from India. Anyway, we thrash them in World Cups and they still abuse us on internet,” Mr Murli shares his opinion.
Internet trolls are not to be taken seriously. The banter between Australia-England or Australia-New Zealand fans keep going on. And given the history between India and Pakistan, it’s unavoidable. Trolls do not spare Kohli and his beloved Anushka Sharma, and here we are talking of India and Pakistan.
Despite the points mentioned by Mr Murli, has trade between the nations stopped? Fans in general share a mutual respect and the players a great camaraderie.
Mid-2000s were again good times when fans got to witness India-Pakistan clashes aplenty. Two quality and evenly matched sides competed during this time. Dhoni became a Dhoni because of his exploits against Pakistan. Virender Sehwag rose to stardom thanks to his outings against Pakistan. Ganguly’s captaincy reputation only enhanced after the Rawalpindi win in 2004, which helped India clinch the series 2-1.
Despite the on-field rivalry, when the then Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq had come down to Kolkata for a commercial shoot in 2005, the food to him at the hotel came from the residence of his counterpart, Ganguly.
Shahid Afridi has been overawed with the hospitality that the Pakistan team received during the ICC World T20 earlier this year that he went on to make a controversial statement.
“I’ve not enjoyed playing anywhere as much as I have in India. I am in the last stage of my career and I can say that the love I have got in India is something that I will always remember. We have not got this much love even from Pakistan. There are cricket-loving people here, much like in Pakistan. Overall, I’ve enjoyed a lot playing in India in my cricketing career,” Afridi had famously said.
Not very far from truth. Rameez Raja, Shoaib Akhtar and Wasim Akram are a frequent sight in India. They are loved and adored here. ALSO READ: Wasim Akram and a girl who never saw him play live
While the world debated about Mohammad Aamer’s return to international cricket, it was Kohli and then Sachin Tendulkar who backed the young Pakistan bowler’s return. Aamer had tainted the image of the gentlemen’s game but Kohli spoke about the youngster’s courage and character of admitting his fault, apologising, facing the punishment and staging a comeback. The Indian Test skipper has gone to an extent of gifting Aamer a cricket bat.
While researching for the article, I spoke to my former colleagues who had visited Pakistan to cover cricket tours. One had gone there during the 2005-06 tour and the other during the Asia Cup in 2008.
“We cannot match their hospitality. After a point of time, it was getting a bit embarrassing. The mehmaan nawaazi of their journalists was of top notch. I have not had this good food in India,” said one.
The other recalled his stay in Karachi, “My friend, the Pakistani journalist made me cancel my hotel booking to ensure I stayed at his home. It seems I have another family in Pakistan. I wish I could travel there more often.”
There is enough hate and cricket that unites the two passionate nations only propagates love.
Yes, we have sympathies with the soldiers dying at the border but why political double standards?
If the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi can go and visit his counterpart Nawaz Sharif on his birthday and have evening tea together then politics has no right to stop Test tours between the nations. And even if it does, why even play in ICC or ACC tournaments?
Maybe some logic are not meant to be understood. This has been a fantastic season for Test cricket but for the format to prosper and compete with the glamorous T20, an India-Pakistan Test series is the need of the hour.
(Suvajit Mustafi consumes cricket for lunch, fiction for dinner and munches numerous other snacks throughout the day. Yes, a jack of several trades, all Suvajit dreamt of was being India’s World Cup winning skipper but ended up being a sports writer, author, screenwriter, director, copywriter, graphic designer, sports marketer , strategist, entrepreneur, philosopher and traveller. Donning so many hats, it’s cricket which gives him the ultimate high and where he finds solace. He can be followed at @RibsGully and rivu7)
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