Lessons from the Indo-Pak match
BENGALURU: After four long years, India played Pakistan last week in the ICC T20 World Cup, bringing back nightmares of previous encounters between the two teams. For decades, cricket matches between the two nations were given analogies like ‘war’ and ‘battle’, as politicians, filmmakers and news channels milked the enmity between the two nations. A nation devoid of entertainment lapped up the hyperbole, and children my age invested months’ worth of emotions into these cricket matches.
Indo-Pak cricket matches were our first introduction to anxiety and depression. Months of buildup in Sharjah, followed by a performance that brought out tears of sorrow. Back then, the Indian team was a constant game of musical chairs. Openers would begin the innings like politicians who cut the ribbon at an inauguration function and returned home. What followed was a series of wickets falling to dangerous fast bowling, while we played out the innings in our heads as sad ‘low-lights’. On the rare occasion, when India won against Pakistan, we cherished the memories for years to come.
However, the dynamics between the two nations have changed over the last decade. India has gone on to become a cricketing superpower, calling the shots in terms of revenue, rights and tournaments. Pakistan on the other hand, have been ostracised (thanks to the terror attacks on cricketers), and mostly play tournaments against weaker nations. Even Bollywood — the final bastion where Indians and Pakistanis worked together has been devoid of any Pakistani actors or singers in recent years. The last few encounters between the two nations have been one-sided and predictable.
To stay away from the emotions, I scheduled a stand-up comedy show during the match, only checking the score after the show ended. India suffered an embarrassing loss to Pakistan on Sunday. But surprisingly, I felt nothing. It was just another match for me, and I casually switched to watching a movie. There were no reports of people smashing their TVs, or of communal riots taking place after the match. Which made me wonder - have we as a nation learnt to view cricket as just another sport? Did the pandemic bring in a shift in perspective - teaching us that there were issues larger than a sport played by 10 nations in the world?
Or perhaps it was social media, throwing up enough distractions to take our minds off the cricket match. Or could it be rising inflation and the social distancing that forced people to stay indoors? Was India finally maturing into a nation of people who view cricket as merely a sport?
Just when I was feeling proud, the reports started pouring in. Reports of people beating up others because they supported Pakistan in the match. Other reports of fans abusing Mohammed Shami and blaming him for the loss of the Indian team. Surprisingly, when I spoke to a friend about it, I was asked not to politicise the incident. Apparently, people were abusing Shami not because he was Muslim, but because he bowled badly during the match.
It made me realise that no matter what happens to the world, India-Pakistan cricket matches will continue to stoke emotions in people. Many years ago, Ravi Shastri would often quip — ‘No matter who wins, cricket is the winner’. Mr Shastri has stayed away from the commentary box as he’s the coach of the Indian team today. But if he were to pick up the mic, he’d probably say that no matter who wins in an India-Pakistan cricket match, it is oil companies, tyre manufacturers and social media companies who win - thanks to the violence!
(The writer’s views are his own)