And with 20 years of governing excellence behind him, Gautam Gambhir, head coach of India’s cricket team, gavel-pounds any cricketing putsch with Pakistan. His position is a mirror image of that of the BCCI and Indian government. His remarks come amidst escalating war drums from both countries. Recent escalations, most notably in the form of deadly militant attacks in the Kashmir region, have raised the stakes of the conflict.
In fact, earlier this year, India decided to withdraw from the Champions Trophy tour to Pakistan. Instead, they chose to host all of their games in Dubai. This ruling casts a shadow over the deepening relations between the two countries. India and Pakistan have not played bilateral cricket since 2013. In establishing themselves in the consciousness of fans, their matches have become must-see events, except now they only happen mostly in multi-team tournaments at neutral venues.
These incidents followed India’s airstrikes across nine locations in Pakistan and Pakistani-administered Kashmir on Wednesday. Unlike most military action, this one is a direct response to a horrific act. Only days before, on April 22, 26 foreign tourists were murdered in the Himalayas. Emotions have spilled over on both sides of the border. This pours gasoline on an already fiery culture war surrounding any future cricket match between the two enemies.
Gambhir stated, “My personal answer to this is absolutely no,” when asked about the possibility of India playing Pakistan in cricket. He impressed upon the committee that until the threat has been quashed, relations on the cricketing field should remain cut off. “Till all this doesn’t stop, there should not be anything between India and Pakistan,” he added.
For all that political discord, cricketer or not, matches between India and Pakistan are still worldwide blockbuster events. In fact, they quickly sell out within the first couple hours of ticket sale, exemplifying the extreme popularity of this intense rivalry. In recent memory, India have thoroughly enjoyed their matchups on the pitch. This remarkable run of form has only amplified the already loud and colorful pageantry that surrounds these encounters.
Moreover, Gambhir accepted that the resumption of bilateral cricket is a government call. The bottom line is their decision on whether these games should be rescheduled. “Ultimately, this is the government’s decision whether we play them or not,” he remarked.
Star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra withdrew his invitation to Pakistan’s Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem for a May 24 event in Bengaluru, following the Kashmir attack. This cancellation is an alarming continuation of the way that sports and politics intersect within the complex—and often hostile—India-Pakistan relationship.
Significantly, India is still willing to fight Pakistan outside of highly-specialized, multi-team, cricket events. It absolutely rejects reestablishing direct bilateral competition between the two countries. Whether or not cricket’s returning glories will last as these two countries continue undergoing profound socio-political change is anyone’s guess.
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