The last time the cricketing world witnessed the Pakistan
cricket team in action was during the ICC World Twenty20 in September. They
dazzled, they frustrated. Since then world cricket has witnessed some exciting
encounters displayed by the big guns of world cricket. But Pakistan
were not involved in those.
Next week, they will resume their cricketing journey when
they face in India
for a short limited-overs series. It's a great approach by the respective
cricket boards in resuming the Indo-Pak cricket rivalry. India ,
down and dusted on their own field by the English, will be rejuvenated to prove
a point against the arch rivals whereas Pakistan
will be determined to humble the Indians in their own backyard.
A cracking contest is expected.
When it's an Indo-Pak clash then one can hear the bhangra
music echoing all around the subcontinent. The people of the subcontinent
suffer from cricketing anxieties. The people of the subcontinent get infected
by a strange euphoria which can't be observed in any other sport; the rest of
the world remains moved by the thrillers scripted by India
and Pakistan .
This is what an Indo-Pak clash generates; this is where
nerve-jangling, heart-racing and mouthwatering cricket is being offered. This
is where a cricketer's temperament is being tested. But sadly, this much
anticipated clash has never been on a regular basis. Time and again the
political circus of the two countries has interfered to deprive fans from
heated battles. Since the resumption of Indo-Pak cricketback in the winter of 1952,
if this tour goes on it will be the fourth resumption of the series. The others
had been in 1978, 1999 and 2004.
The resumption of the Indo-Pak clash is encouraging. From a
fan's perspective I wish this much anticipated series to continue on a regular
basis. In my lifetime I have witnessed some astonishing and mind blowing Indo-Pak
series since the days of Imran Khan. I felt deprived during the 90s when I
couldn't witness the epic clash between Sachin Tendulkar and the two Ws. Not
only me but I guess the world missed an epic encounter due to the lack of
bilateral series between the two countries during that time - politicians of
both the countries have been the culprits who mixed politics with cricket time
and again.
Why cricket has been the victim still isn't understandable. If
a Pakistani actor can act in a Bollywood movie, if Bollywood movies are widely
anticipated in Pakistan ,
if Wasim Akram can coach the Kolkata Knight Riders and if a bilateral hockey
series can take place between the two nations then why can't a bilateral
cricket series go on?
Ardent cricket followers in the subcontinent and the world
don't wish to miss these two nations' mouth-watering clash on the cricket field.
The magnitude of the Indo-Pak clash is immense. And halting this epic battle
for the sake of politics is doing nothing but hurting the feelings of the fans
of the cricket world. In cricket, a cricket fan's feelings mean a lot. Their
feelings are deeply connected with each and every event related to cricket. In
the subcontinent it's even more deeply connected.
Note: This article has been published
on cricketnext on 21/12/2012 http://ibnlive.in.com/blogs/faisalcaesar/3379/64165/the-indopak-clash-should-be-on-a-regular-basis.html
Thank You
Faisal Caesar
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