India and Pakistan will clash again at the Asia Cup (Photo by SAJJAD HUSSAIN/AFP via Getty Images)
AFP via Getty Images
Given that cricket is clearly the most popular sport in these nuclear armed neighboring countries, where the sport is used as a political football, matches between India and Pakistan have been incredibly tense over the years.
But there generally had been on-field camaraderie between the nations with such a shared love and passion for cricket. It was once seen as a rare opportunity for diplomacy, demonstrating the power of sport where for a few precious hours real world tumult could be put aside.
Sadly, with cricket now increasingly a proxy for the warring governments, the toxicity has spilled on-field with relations between the playing groups of India and Pakistan at boiling point.
A row has erupted after their recent game at the Asia Cup, with Pakistan threatening to pull out of the lucrative continental championship as the bloodletting between the countries has overshadowed the tournament ever since.
It was a tense postscript of the first game between the countries since a gun massacre of tourists in April in Kashmir pushed India and Pakistan to the brink of war.
In what was a predetermined move, aligning with its right-winged government and the all-powerful BCCI cricket governing body, India’s players did not shake hands with their opponents in an unsportsmanlike act that left Pakistan fuming.
Pakistan’s captain Salman Agha (R) reacts at the end of the game against India (Photo by SAJJAD HUSSAIN/AFP via Getty Images)
AFP via Getty Images
Pakistan Cricket Board claimed that match referee Andy Pycroft had breached the International Cricket Council’s code of conduct regulations, demanding he be removed.
After an investigation, the ICC – with India holding the power reins – said Pycroft “did not breach any match protocols”, inflaming the PCB who threatened to withdraw from the tournament and putting into jeopardy around $15 million in revenue.
Money-spinning games between India and Pakistan essentially underpins the broadcast deal for the Asia Cup, in turn bankrolling the ACC, its pathways and smaller Asian nations reliant on funding.
With so much at stake, Pakistan have inevitably not pulled out but tensions are incredibly high ahead of the countries again meeting in Dubai on Sunday. Pakistan are facing punishment by the ICC for a “violation of multiple tournament rules”, including the filming of a meeting with Pycroft in a restricted area.
Fanning the flames further is India’s no-handshake policy, which is set to continue for the upcoming Super 4 game. There is an increasing ugly underbelly for cricket’s best and most anticipated, literally watched by hundreds of millions.
There was a time when the contest was largely absent from the hyper nationalism and politicking, which, of course, means when the echo chamber of social media was not around.
In the mid-2000s, India and Pakistan played numerous Test series in both countries until the Mumbai attacks of 2008 started the eroding of this sporting goodwill and a creeping of political interference.
The teams have not played a Test series against each other since or bilateral series in any format for more than a decade. The Indian government only allows India to play Pakistan in major events, while the political byplay is notable at the top levels of cricket.
Sanjog Gupta was recently appointed as chief executive, hot on the heels of Indian compatriot Jay Shah’s ascension as chair.
Shah was previously at the helm of India’s governing body and he is the son of India home affairs minister Amit Shah, the right hand man of India’s nationalistic prime minister Narendra Modi.
While Mohsin Naqvi is Pakistan’s interior minister, but also doubles as the chairs of the ACC and PCB.
Mohsin Naqvi is the boss of ACC and PCB (Photo by ARIF ALI/AFP via Getty Images)
AFP via Getty Images
“There are some people with strong nationalistic views in positions of power who drive policy,” a senior cricket administrator recently told me. “Tensions aren’t going down and the other Asian (Full Member) countries also get sucked in and it becomes a game of geo-politics.
“There are many tentacles to this and an issue that won’t end.”
All eyes will be on the upcoming game but, sadly, the actual bat and ball contest looms as a footnote. Despite the oppressive heat and sterile surrounds of Dubai, tickets will be in high demand but there are some still available.
General tickets start at around $99 with premium at $212 – considerably more expensive than Saturday’s Super 4 game between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, which starts at $21.25 and increases to $42.51 for premium.
A sky box of four is priced at $9068.12 for India-Pakistan, with those in attendance set to see this latest chapter of a heated rivalry that will be closely monitored from New Delhi to Islamabad.