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| It’s war, let sports wait | | | | For decades cricket has been one such activity which has incited patriotism both among Indians and Pakistanis. While the cricket lovers from both countries stood like rock behind their own teams, the sport, per se, always served a major confidence building measure between two countries in times of peace and even in times of lesser comfort. Following Mumbai terror attacks when India is seeking to wage a decisive war against terrorism there is a split opinion among the who’s who of the country on whether India should continue cricket ties with Pakistan or not. Well, cricket has really served as a confidence buildings measures but at present the situation has been damaged to an extent that very little is left for the sports to repair the ties. It is, therefore, in the wisdom of the things that cricket must take a back seat for the time being, while India wages its rightful war against acts of terror clearly carried out on its soil by people of other nationalities. While official Pakistan continues to be in denial about the fact that its citizens were behind the attack, its cricket board tries to harp on the so-called "double standards", with international teams ready to visit India but not Pakistan. There is a world of difference between stray acts of terrorism to pointed ones with specific targets. It is hard to believe a secure environment can be made available in Pakistan at a time when its jihadists are targeting India and visiting Western nationals. When conditions were not so abnormal, India and Sri Lanka had visited Pakistan to play in the Asia Cup earlier this year. But much has changed since the horrific Mumbai attacks of November 26: Pakistan must reconcile itself to a prolonged spell of international isolation or promote neutral venues in West Asia, even if India will not countenance any sort of cricketing or sporting ties with that country at this juncture. Sport, particularly cricket, has often been the barometer of diplomatic relations, with Indian cricket going beyond its brief by supporting Pakistan in the game’s power bloc politics. Players from Pakistan, including the rebellious Shoaib Akhtar, who was accommodated in extraordinary circumstances in which he was banned from playing in his own country pending inquiry, were welcomed to the Indian Premier League. The two countries are also scheduled to be joint hosts, along with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, of the World Cup of 2011, which means that a lot of mending needs to be done if this showpiece event is to be held as planned. Pakistan’s intransigence on the citizenship issue of the Mumbai attackers is not helping matters at this stage. The postponement of the inaugural Champions League, which was to feature the best teams of the domestic Twenty20 competitions of India, England, Australia, South Africa and Pakistan, really had more to do with a very crowded international cricketing calendar than the prevailing security environment. At best, this is a commercial venture rather than bilateral or multilateral cricket which are of greater import to the game and its welfare. The success of such ventures will certainly help spread some of the sizeable amounts of money that Indian cricket generates but, again, that can wait for the time being. That India still calls the shots in cricket is amply demonstrated in England making the Test trip so soon after the Mumbai incidents, which led to an abrupt end to the one-day series (after, of course, it had already been won by India). Such power must be utilised for the good of the game as well as the country. In the end, we must not forget that cricket, at all times, must be subservient to the national interest. |
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