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Why This Aversion To Letting India Play In Pakistan In International Events?

By Sunil Garodia
First publised on 2022-10-19 03:55:50

About the Author

Sunil Garodia Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator.

BCCI secretary Jay Shah, on the first day of his second term started a controversy by saying that India will not travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup to be held in that country next year. He said that as the chief of Asian Cricket Council, he will try to ensure that the tournament is not held in Pakistan but at a neutral venue so that India can participate. As expected, there was an immediate response from the Pakistani side with reports indicating that the PCB might also pull out from the ODI World Cup to be held in India in 2023.

The Asia Cup has been held at neutral venues for long, precisely to overcome this issue of travel aversion on part of India and Pakistan. In 2023 also, it might be held in UAE. India and Pakistan have not had a bilateral series since 2012. That is fine as long as the government does not feel that conditions are suitable to hold such matches and does not allow permission. But when it comes to international tournaments, the thinking should be different.

By travelling to Pakistan to play in the Asia Cup, the Indian team will not confirm that all is well between India and Pakistan. It will only fulfil its obligations as a member of the ICC and the ACC to play anywhere the tournament has been slotted. Similarly, when Pakistan comes to play in India in the ODI World Cup in 2023, they would be fulfilling their obligation. Nothing more should be read into these exchanges and they should be allowed.

The whole world knows that India and Pakistan have huge irreconcilable differences over a host of issues. Yet, the whole world also knows that India and Pakistan compete against each other in sporting events on neutral venues. Has not the time now come to keep the politics aside and allow Indian teams to travel to Pakistan for international events and welcome Pakistani teams to India for similar, multi-nation events?

Pictgure courtesy: dawn.com (caption ours)

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