COLOMBO: Saint Valentine, the story goes, was martyred in ancient Rome because he continued to perform weddings for couples in secret at a time when marriages were banned. Just before his execution, the doctor or priest (depending on what part of the internet you believe) is thought to have sent a note to his jailer's daughter with the words '... to my Valentine'. That's how February 14 became an important day in the calendar. The day he was executed.
It would be grand to see some of Valentine's ethos over the next few days in Colombo but the smart money is that there will be no love lost. Considering everything that has happened between India and Pakistan over the last 10 months, it would be a minor miracle if their senior men's cricket teams even shook hands. Welcome to a fixture where pleasantries are policed, politeness is shadowbanned, rudeness is good and war metaphors are de rigueur.
When that clash begins at the R Premadasa Stadium on Sunday evening, a rising stars women's Asia Cup match between the two countries will have just finished in Bangkok. In all, the two countries, in various formats across different age-groups, will have played each other 10 times since September 14, 2025 (including the two slated for Sunday). It kind of accurately captures the dichotomy and the fix world cricket finds itself in.
It's the golden goose that continues to fund the sport outside the Big Three. The rich will keep getting richer irrespective but because of the existence of this one game — a guaranteed match irrespective of the situation — children of a lesser God are also permitted to dream. For every `10 the ICC makes, the Associate members have to split approximately `1.1 between them. It's not fair but you remove this one fixture and the whole ecosystem will collapse on itself.
When the ICC first started to club India and Pakistan together at World Cups back in 2014, it was also the first time that the body came out with a so-called Big Three position paper. Since then, India, Australia and England have enjoyed a very big slice of the pie (India the biggest). Because of that, the ICC have had to keep putting these two teams in the same groups in all World Cups everywhere to ensure that there's something in the table for the other teams. What has helped the ICC along the way is that because both countries have completely stopped playing bilaterals (last one was in January 2013), there's an in-built demand. It's why broadcasters are willing to part with obscene amounts of money. It's why the remaining ad slots have been picked up for well in excess of `30 lakh for a 10 second spot for the game on Sunday.
Just Simple economics. "This is what I refer to as geopolitical economy," Simon Chadwick, a professor on Sports and Geopolitics, tells this daily. Chadwick, well versed with the subject for over the last 20 years, says its where power, politics, money and states collide. "The India versus Pakistan match is not just about sport, it is the vehicle through which all manner of issues are accentuated and addressed. Sure, the game is about big money and massive crowds, but it's also about national identity, regional influence and global profile. It's about the countries flexing their muscles, projecting themselves at multiple stakeholders and about trying to position oneself as both cricket’s and the region’s ‘Number 1’. Sports contests around the world – be in cricket across the sub-continent, or elsewhere in the world – are no longer just about on-field games, they are nowadays just as much about off-field games too."
Ever wondered why more and more countries are forming an orderly queue to host India - Pakistan games? Dubai and, now, Colombo have emerged as a hub for matches between the two nations (not to mention Qatar who also hosted a game in 2025). "They have positive economic outcomes, drawing in thousands of fans and commercial stakeholders," Chadwick says. "There is a political consequence too – successfully delivering a contentious sports contest confers image and reputational benefits upon the hosts. Plus, being able to mediate and moderate in relations between the two cricket giants helps position these hosts as being diplomatically legitimate and trustworthy. Otherwise, India versus Pakistan and the rhetoric that accompanies it is the quintessence of 21st century sport all over the world. Games are presented not just as a matter of bat and ball, but also of tension, drama, confrontation, and financial high stakes."
Exactly 30 years ago — February 13, 1996 — two cricket teams came to the R Premadasa Stadium to show the cricketing world that Sri Lanka was a safe country. A combined India - Pakistan XI played a Sri Lankan XI. Writer Mike Marqusee wrote about the game in his seminal book 'War Minus The Shooting'. "Above the broad avenue leading to the ground," Marqusee had written, "the government had hung banners declaring: 'Long live India-Pakistan-Sri Lanka friendship', 'We salute your magnificent gesture of solidarity', 'We salute the brave sons of India and Pakistan', 'Greetings to SAARC solidarity.'"
Valentine's ideals.
