UNFORTUNATELY, the tense relationship between Pakistan and India which has soured in the past twelve months is now showing spill-over effect into cricket as well with Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) refusing to play the upcoming T-20 Asia Cup in Pakistan and demanding the tournament be shifted to a neutral venue. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has also responded with a tit-for-tat response and rightly so threatening to pull out of next year’s T-20 World Cup in India if New Delhi boycotts the Asia Cup.
The fact of the matter is that the peoples of two cricket frenzy nations want their teams play against each other but the Indian intransigence and stubborn attitude is depriving them the fun and entertainment they get from their contests. No match is considered more interesting than the one between the two arch rivals with emotions running high both on and off the ground. The regrettable part is that both the countries have not played a test series against each other since 2007. The reason is that the Indian government is constantly refusing to allow its cricket team to play against Pakistan and the two teams only meet in International Cricket Council tournaments such as last year’s World Cup when India defeated Pakistan in Manchester. The very posture shows how much anger as well as hate the Indian leadership, especially the incumbent ones, harbours against Pakistan. The Indian leadership never misses any opportunity to malign Pakistan at different forums and it appears to be perturbed over the return of International Cricket to Pakistan. Anyway, we understand that the PCB has taken a very right decision and it must stick to it come what may. We must only go to India for the T-20 World Cup only if India comes to Pakistan first for the Asia Cup. Though the BCCI is considered as the most powerful governing body, yet our cricket board should take up the matter of Indian refusal with the International Cricket Council (ICC) as they need to give genuine reasons for not coming to Pakistan. The world body also needs to take action against BCCI for politicizing the sports.
