There is always a tense situation when India and Pakistan play each other. Sadly the much anticipated fixture in the World Cup is in balance due to politics weighing in.
The only opportunity the cricket world gets to see these cricketing gladiators fighting it out is in tournaments conducted by the ICC and one such tournament being the prestigious World Cup.
This meeting not taking place was prompted due to suicide bombing that killed 40 Indian Paramilitary Police . There have been calls for India to forfeit their game against Pakistan on June 16 at Manchester.
At the time of writing the game is still on and a decision rests with India’s politicians. The final decision could be made just days before the match. The Indian cricketers and sports officials are on record saying that they will abide by any government call for a boycott.
Indian captain Virat Kohli has said that the players would respect any instructions from the government or the Board. ‘Our stand is simple: We will stick by what the nation wants too and what the BCCI decides to do. That is basically our opinion. Whatever the government and the board decide, we will go by that and we will respect that’.
Sachin Tendulkar the demi god of Indian cricket and former captain and its greatest batsman tweeted he would ‘hate’ to hand Pakistan two points by forfeiting the game , but added, ’India always comes first, so whatever my country decides I will back with my heart’.
On the same topic another hornets nest has been raised with the Indian cricketers wearing army camouflage-style black with the BCCI logo in solidarity with the Indian paramilitary police killed in a militant attack. These caps were sported by the Indian cricketers in their fourth one-day international against Australia.
The Pakistan Cricket Board has strongly objected to this and written to the ICC to take action. India claims that they had the permission from the ICC and were allowed as part of a charity fundraising effort.
While we leave it to India and Pakistan to solve this problem, captain Virat Kohli says that losing the one-day series to Australia does not mean that the side should panic.
India is one of the four teams strongly tipped to carry away the World Cup with the other three teams being hosts England, South Africa and New Zealand.
That Australia managed to beat India 3-2 in a five match one-day series in India is great credit to the Australians led by Aaron Finch.
Having followed the Indian team closely and the players in the team, on paper they have some fine all round cricketers who can rise to the occasion and deliver. They should treat this defeat as a hiccup.
A bit of history on the cricket World Cup. It had its beginnings in 1975 and was called the Prudential Assurance Trophy. The first two tournaments were played in England and it was 60 overs per side encounters.
Subsequently a switch took place and the Cup was called the International Cricket Council World Cup and reduced to 50 overs per side. Then with Australian Channel Nine Big Boss Kerry Packer introducing night cricket, the first such World Cup game was played by India and England in Perth.
The day night game saw a revolution with the players wearing coloured clothing, umpires in black, sightscreens in black and white balls being used. And today day/night cricket is the in thing in ICC organized 50-over and Twenty20 cricket World Cups.
At the moment with just two months to go for the conducting of this mega event in England and Wales, cricket is quietly reaching fever pitch and will soon zoom to the zenith with all teams vying for the trophy hard at practice and playing competitive cricket to finalize their squads that will play in the tournament and the bottom line being WINNING IT. The money to be won is mind boggling.
Cricket luver’ly cricket crazy fans will be eating, drinking and sleeping cricket for more than a month and a half as the cowboys in the cricketing rodeo attempt to lasso and bring down opponents and carry away the World Cup that is now the ultimate in the game.
And at the end of the innings, while the country winning the World Cup will be on Cloud Nine, the teams losing will see their coaches, captains and support staff all sent packing, for such is the vicissitudes of this glorious game which the British bestowed on the world.
And when the International Cricket Council is switching on the bright lights for the conducting of this mega events comes the gloom that the much hyped game between the cricketing giants of Asia India and Pakistan may not see see umpires calling ‘play’.
While we leave it to India and Pakistan to solve this problem, captain Virat Kohli says that losing the one-day series to Australia does not mean that the side should panic.
I detest wanting to use that hackneyed phrase when a team loses – wake-up call – instead believe that the side playing the better cricket Australia deserved to win and give the yellow birds the credit.
In Virat Kholi they have an astute leader and one of the best captains among the other captains, with the natural ability to score runs whatever the situation and by example raise the spirits and the level of their game. They should treat the loss to Australia as one of the glorious uncertainties associated with the game and use it as a springboard for success.
When that dream wicket keeper batsman Mahendra Singh Dhoni comes into the team, he will bring with him the adrenalin and the dextrose that will flow into all the Indian team members who will silence their critics and run the gauntlet.
When the First T20 between Sri Lanka and South Africa ended in a tie at Cape Town with Sri Lanka making 134 for 7 wickets and South Africa replying with 134 for 8, instead of a super over the game should have been awarded to Sri Lanka because they lost 7 wickets to South Africa’s 8.
Hope the ICC Cricket Committee will ponder on this when they next meet.
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