Dunya Exclusive: The heart has its reasons
Cricket
Cricket fans in the subcontinent can say a Pakistan-India match is anyone’s dream of paradise
By Salman Khan
Tension can be cut with knife. There is buzz and excitement as cricket fans around the world, especially in Pakistan and India, are waiting for world cup’s match of matches.
Yes, it’s Pakistan v India which is more than a match. It’s more of a carnival in the two cricket-loving countries and the fanciers are already in celebratory mode, wishing that their respective countries emerge triumphant in the world cup match.
Cricket fans in the subcontinent can say a Pakistan-India match is anyone’s dream of paradise. It’s more than a game and one can rationalise this craze only by saying “the heart has its reasons”.
What it means to two countries
The match between the two countries goes beyond mere sport. In order to see the political angle, one has to pore over pages of history.
Read more: India v Pakistan head-to-head record
“It’s a battle cry that’s more about jingoism than sportsmanship, and one that, disturbingly enough, is growing more shrill with each passing year,” star commentator Omar Kureishi once wrote.
“It doesn’t take a sociologist to point out that an India-Pakistan match is a microcosm of the uneasy political situation that prevails between the two countries,” he said.
A media report describes an India-Pakistan match as the ultimate love-hate clash. It says: “The clash between India and Pakistan in the World Cup will showcase one of the world’s most intense sporting rivalries fuelled by nationalism, bloodshed and a shared history.
“On the cricket field, a World Cup match on Indian soil is the biggest fixture between the two rivals for decades, and the excitement across the region is already sky-high…”
“Keep the ruddy politicians out, and cricket will keep the people of India and Pakistan together,” Kureishi also wrote.
It’s a game
Many fans say win or lose is immaterial as it’s cricket which matters and should be played with a spirit of sportsmanship.
As it is said, “it’s not important how often you get knocked down in life, what matters is whether you get up or not”.
India have defeated Pakistan seven times in the tournament since they first met in Sydney in 1992. Is Pakistan going to break the jinx? We will find the answer shortly.
Pakistan cricket team skipper Babar Azam said on Friday there was no pressure on the players and they would give their best in Saturday's match against India.
Babar Azam held a pre-match presser in Ahmedabad a day before team’s crucial match against arch-rival India. Azam said they would try their level best to perform better in the match.
He said he would miss Naseem Shah. He had bowled well in Asia Cup. Azam was of the view that Shaheen Afridi was a match-winner and if he could not perform well in a match or two, that did not mean his performance was questionable.
The skipper of the national team said that like other cities, conditions in Ahmadebad were quite different. He said spending more time in a city was helpful in knowing its conditions in a better way and they had spent enough time in Ahmedabad.
Read more: Hasan Ali shares excitement ahead of high-voltage Pakistan vs India clash
