AFTER the tension-filled events of the past two weeks, the focus has finally shifted to cricket itself with the Pakistani men’s and women’s teams flying out to India on Saturday for the ICC World T20. Needless to say, players and officials on both sides of the border, and millions of fans, must have heaved a sigh of relief following the recent events that witnessed allegations and counter-statements from Indian and Pakistani politicians. This clearly took the shine off a tournament that will see all the top cricketing nations competing. The episode has exposed the growing influence of external elements, especially in India, that seem hell-bent on exploiting public sentiments to thwart the recent efforts for better relations between the two countries. Cricket’s popular appeal has often been used by rulers in Pakistan and India to iron out diplomatic tensions. But the current situation astonishingly saw politicians and cricket officials from both sides swept along by the events instead of controlling them. From the beginning, the Indian authorities and the ICC ought to have shown greater determination to create a congenial atmosphere for the teams and tournament. Unfortunately, that did not happen.

For a genuine fan, cricket itself could be the casualty here. The inflamed passions of the Himachal Pradesh chief minister and Shiv Sena miscreants notwithstanding, every single seat at the 25,000-capacity stadium at Dharamsala had been sold out a month in advance. Pakistani authorities, concerned for the safety of their players, thankfully presented their terms to both India and the ICC. Their efforts have duly paid off with the contentious game at Dharamsala being shifted to Kolkata, besides the pledging of security assurances by the Indian authorities. The challenges for the Pakistan team in India today are likely to be far greater compared to a decade ago. And cricketing performances by Shahid Afridi and his men in New Zealand, and more recently in the Asia Cup, have left much to be desired. However, they can silence their detractors by doing well at the ICC World T20.

Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2016