When asked if ‘hatred’ would be a factor in deciding the Ashes, the cricketing world’s longest-running battle involving Australia and England, Nathan Lyon replied in the affirmative. His exact words were actually more interesting. So, let’s hear it from the man himself.

“Yeah, hundred per cent. It’s Ashes cricket, mate,” he said.

The off-spinner naturally was talking of a sporting hatred that dissipates off the field, and had nothing in mind that may come even remotely close to the absolute hatred put on display around the same time by the Indian board against Pakistan, insisting that regardless of what the International Cricket Council stipulates, there will be no bilateral engagement with Pakistan even if it puts the proposed Test and ODI championships in jeopardy.

The Australian revulsion of England relates to on-field banter against England; the Indian, to meaningless abhorrence of Pakistan. The two rivalries make for an interesting contrast in mindset and approach

The Australian ‘hatred’ related to on-field banter against England; the Indian, to meaningless abhorrence of Pakistan. The two rivalries make for an interesting contrast in mindset and approach to the game.

It was the Australian vice-captain, David Warner, who had set the ball rolling ahead of the Ashes when he spoke openly about his feelings for England, saying he had developed a “hatred” of the England team in order to motivate himself. Lyon took it further. “It’s England versus Australia. There’s going to be banter. There’s going to be heated moments ... and so there should be. It’s Ashes cricket. I’m all for it. There’s a line. We’ll head-butt the line but we won’t go over it.”

See? It’s all about cricket and being competitive. The Australian rookies were even made to watch replays of the Mitchell Johnson spells that intimidated some of England’s batsmen as he grabbed 37 wickets in the last series Down Under and put an end to a few careers with his brute pace.

It was all about cricket — playing cricket, mind you. The Indian variety is about not — repeat NOT — playing cricket.

Reports emanating from New Delhi and published globally suggest that the Indian cricket board is all set to block out Pakistan when folks at the ICC meet later this week to discuss the World Test Championship. As the ICC Future Tours Programme (FTP) stands right now, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) believes it stipulates every team to play against each other. There would be no third option for any country; either it plays or concedes points for refusing to play.

The Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) wants to have an FTP under which there will be no India-Pakistan Test series, unless both qualify to play the final. As a way out, it suggests having six mandatory series and not everyone versus everyone else. The Indians plan to name Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh as their six opponents, thus keeping Pakistan out of the picture. This is hatred in its pure, absolute form. An enmity over nothing ... nothing related to sports at least.

One Indian official has been quoted as saying that the ICC “knows the ground realities.” What realities, one may ask. It is not the ‘realities’ which is forcing the Indian hand. It is the mindset. A negative mindset that is sustained by happenings — perceived happenings most of the time — that have nothing to do with sports.

For years Pakistan was lectured by India and its various backers on the need to keep political rifts aside and focus on what can still be done. As an alternative, we were ‘advised’ to forget politics and to, instead, have trade and cultural ties and wait for some opportune moment to settle political issues. And when that road was taken, the Indians backed out. It was as if their bluff had been called. The BCCI DNA stood exposed.

They have a fantastic team and it is not out of any fear that the Indian board is running away from the contest. If anything, they will start off as the favourites in any bilateral engagement. It is just that they don’t want to and use it as one of the many ploys to stamp their hegemony. And there is no one to lecture India on the folly of such an approach. What a shame.

The PCB plans to file a case against India early next year before the ICC for not honouring the MoUs signed in 2014 between the two countries for resuming bilateral series. According to PCB supremo Najam Sethi, funds had been earmarked for legal charges and the Indians would be brought to the table.

While there is every chance that the PCB may not get what it is seeking because it was, after all, a memorandum of understanding, and not an agreement. And by its very nature, an MoU has various get-out-of-jail clauses built into it.

The BCCI has already said it was in contact with the Indian government to seek its “permission or guidance” under the new FTP system. “We can’t play Pakistan as it is Indian government’s prerogative to allow us to play them in a bilateral series”, a senior BCCI official has been quoted by the media as saying.

While that may turn out to be a defensible legal position for the BCCI, but what about the Indian government’s indefensible posturing? It is all about a negative mindset that has taken hold of the nation across the border. That actually is the ground reality. Period.

humair.ishtiaq@gmail.com

Published in Dawn, EOS, December 3rd, 2017