Better cricket frenemies than nuclear enemies
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That sports encounters can serve as proxy wars is nowhere as apparent as cricket battles between Pakistan and India. The word ‘epic’ pales in meaning when considering the scale of the duel when the ‘men in green’ (Pakistan) and the ‘men in blue’ (India) climb onto a green pitch with their willow bats and leather balls. Considering that both South Asian neighbors are not on talking terms, both having expelled each other’s ambassadors years ago, a cricket encounter represents more than sports; its diplomacy and war all rolled into one.
Which is what happened last week when both previous world champions of Twenty20 international cricket clashed for the 15th time in over three decades in world championship tournaments in Dubai at the latest edition of the T20 World Championship. The expectation was high that the status quo would repeat itself – Pakistan never having defeated India even a single time in their world cup encounters. But things didn’t go as planned. Captain Babar Azam’s side, in an astonishing display of domination in all aspects of the game, beat Virat Kohli’s vastly more fancied team – by 10 wickets, the largest margin of victory possible in a game of cricket.
The result? All hell broke loose. In both Pakistan and in India. The thousand proverbial fathers of victory propelled Pakistanis into the stratosphere. Prime Minister Imran Khan, himself a former cricketer and captain who led Pakistan to its only World Cup win in the One Day International version of the game, forewent diplomacy when offered the golden moment of crowing about a national win. “Not a good time to talk to India about improving Pak-India ties after World Cup thrashing!” he said unabashedly at a reception in Saudi Arabia when talking about regional politics. Ouch.
Bad taste, considering that he is prime minister? Sure, but keeping with tradition in the two countries when it comes to assessing who is superior – cricketing feats.
Considering both South Asian neighbors are not on talking terms, both having expelled each other’s ambassadors years ago, a cricket encounter represents more than sports; its diplomacy and war all rolled into one.
Adnan Rehmat
Indians, of course, squared up to the unexpected defeat at Pakistan’s hands with equal non-composure. India’s Muslim bowler in the team Muhammad Shami faced virulent online abuse, no doubt for his religious faith rather than his non-existent hand in failing to stop Pakistan winning the match. Several students in Indian-administered Kashmir were charged with sedition by police for ostensibly cheering Pakistan’s win. Another teacher in Rajasthan was terminated for congratulating Pakistan online for the victory.
This wasn’t the first time one country’s citizens went ballistic in meme-ing silly against the other over a victory and the losers going berserk over the loss. In 2016, a student in Pakistan was arrested and charged with sedition for unfurling an Indian flag after his favorite cricketer – current Indian captain Kohli – for passing one of his countless gaming milestones.
And yet, once one of cricket’s greatest heroes Sachin Tendulkar visiting Pakistan found an unexpected guest at his hotel room: Pakistani star batsman Inzamamul Haq who had brought his little son to meet his hero Tendulkar for a prized autograph and photograph. Battles were left for the cricket field as the two traded stories about families with samosa and chai in Tendulkar’s room.
Passions run high when cricket is treated as a religion – in both India and Pakistan-- and the game is a metaphor for how politics is conducted between the two countries armed to the teeth with nuclear weapons. Since the weapons can’t be used, cricket duels substitute for wars. Having said that, cricket-mad youth in both countries admire each other’s cricketers even if their political and security establishments would much rather duel on traditional lines.
The pent-up passions having been vented with the end of the game, the more lasting images of the duel were non-confrontational. Kohli embracing Pakistani opener Rizwan for his unbeaten innings and congratulating his Pakistani counterpart Babar Azam and sharing smiles were priceless, and won more hearts in both countries than the match broke. Kohli and Azam with their infectious smiles and sportsmanship spirits were classy – and more representative – ambassadors of their countries than their foreign ministers and prime ministers put together.
Soft politics between the same hard-nosed neighbors has also historically been well served through the arts – Indian icons Lata Mangeshkar and Muhammad Rafi are just as well loved in Pakistan as at home. The passing away of iconic Pakistani singer-actress Noor Jahan was just as mourned in India as was thespian Dilip Kumar in Pakistan.
When tired with his sabre-rattling against India, former Pakistani military dictator Ziaul Haq in 1987 did not abide by protocol to invite himself to a Pakistani cricket match with arch-rivals in India, leaving Indian and Pakistani troops massed on the border confused about what to do next. Similarly, popular Indian former cricketer and now politician Navjot Sidhu was hosted by Prime Minister Imran Khan at his swearing in ceremony where he promptly hugged the Pakistani Army chief, unsettling notions of manufactured hostility.
Cricket may be just a game, sure. But Pakistanis and Indians – both governments and citizens – have a peculiar way of using the game to both fight and love each other around the only thing that truly binds them: cricket! Too bad they don’t play in each other’s countries anymore. If they allowed their cricket captains a free hand, Pakistan and India could make hard politics redundant.
*Adnan Rehmat is a Pakistan-based journalist, researcher and analyst with interests in politics, media, development and science.
Twitter: @adnanrehmat1
