Teams come and go, but the pressure of playing in the match never eases. And, of course, it’s a must-win for both India and Pakistan.
Dubai: There’s a huge difference between the way cricketers approach a game and the way fans and supporters approach it. If ever proof was needed, one should look no further than an India-Pakistan match.
It does not matter if the match is a dead rubber at the end of a bilateral series, a World Cup match, or what’s unfolding now, the Asia Cup. Why, there’s a distinct possibility that India could play Pakistan thrice in this short tournament, if the results work out right. How’s that for managing a mini-series even when the governments can’t agree to play each other bilaterally?
For the players, there is only way to approach such a game — like it is a cricket contest, and no different from one against any other top team. If they get caught up in the hype and hoopla — such as the war of words between the fans or the provocative ranting of certain television anchors — they simply would not be able to play.
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There is enough pressure on international players from both countries without them having to add to it. There is enough riding on each match or tournament, careers being on the line, without players having to think about geopolitics once they have stepped onto the field. In Dubai, where 44 degrees Celsius is not considered especially hot — and this was the temperature when India began their match against Hong Kong — bodies are under immense strain without the mind having to add factors that could lead to indecision, which in turn can translate into injury.
For supporters, though, the concerns are dramatically different. Getting a ticket to the game is a major one, and as soon as tickets of various categories were released for purchase online, they disappeared. A week before the match, the only seats available legally cost 6000 dirhams, or about Rs 1.2 lakh.
Supporters may also concern themselves with the fact that India and Pakistan have fought full-fledged wars and continue to engage in a violent border dispute that has cost the lives of countless civilians, demanded the ultimate sacrifice from military personnel, ruined the lives and livelihoods of thousands, and broken families.
Supporters from either side have traditionally demanded that their team beat the other. It doesn’t matter if you don’t win the World Cup, but you must beat Pakistan, was the demand. It’s very good to see you performing against England, but your life will change if you take five wickets against India, went the refrain.
Over the years, the personnel have changed, but the manner in which fans view the rivalry and the matches has not.
From a purely cricketing perspective, the contest has traditionally been one of Pakistan’s bowlers versus India’s batsmen. But it’s fair to say that this would be a major oversimplification, given the way the two teams currently stack up. India’s bowling stocks are steadily on the rise, while Pakistan’s batsmen have shown the kind of stability that they were rarely known for.
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Off the field, the players from both countries have always shared good relationships. And this is not surprising in the least. After all, there is no cultural gap to bridge, with men from both teams being cut from the same cloth before Partition. Add to this the fact that each was in a unique position to understand the pressure the other was under — no other cricketing rivalry comes with the same off-field baggage — and you had a situation where there was more in common between the two sets of players than there were differences.
That’s not to say all was hunky dory on the field. From taunts to abuse to outright hostility, the full gamut of negative emotions has been on display, in moments of heat. Chetan Sharma has gone an entire lifetime being reminded of the last-ball six that Javed Miandad hit off him in the Australasia Cup final here in the UAE back in 1986. Miandad was still at in 1992 when he was so angered by Kiran More’s incessant appealing that he jumped up and down in imitation. Aamer Sohail and Venkatesh Prasad will soon be reliving their four-and-out exchange from Bangalore back in 1996, only this time it will be over a cup of sponsored chai.
Rohit Sharma and Sarfraz Ahmed are unlikely to engage in similar theatrics, both being mild-mannered for the best part, and aware that the last thing an India-Pakistan match needs is an escalation of tensions. In each tournament the format is likely to throw up must-win matches for teams before the actual knock-out games begin. But, momentarily, thinking with their hearts, Indians and Pakistanis take their eyes off the bigger picture when their two teams play each other.
And it will be no different on Wednesday. Make no mistake, this is one of those must-win matches.
It would be wonderful if some of these matches could take place in India and Pakistan as well. However, given how easy it would be for the lunatic fringe to drum up faux outrage, good that the two teams can face each other on neutral locations. Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev should have attended PM Imran Khan’s swearing in ceremony. We need more ambassadors of peace.