As tension escalated between India and Pakistan, cricket was once again going to be hit hard. This time, the repercussion could have been severe as it was envisaged that the two warring nations may not even be playing in multi-national events.
It could have been disastrous for international cricket.
The firebrand India men’s team coach Gautam Gambhir — having been a member of the ruling BJP Party and a member of the parliament until last year — fired a big salvo, declaring that “India should not play Pakistan at all.”
He has always been a hardliner when it comes to Pakistan. But the wiser and calmer Sunil Gavaskar saying, “Pakistan should be expelled from the Asia Cup,” alluded that the situation is worse than one could imagine.
These were statements which showed that they were “playing by ear.”
But sanity prevailed, and the big boss of the United States intervened, and a ceasefire came about. The famous saying is “war is what happens when language fails,” and this has been happening to India and Pakistan.
Cricket is so important a tool – that it avoided war on various occasions, notably in 1987 and then in 2000. The importance of an Indo-Pak cricket match is undeniable.
The last Indo-Pak match in the Twenty20 World Cup was watched by 400 million people — that it gets hit once relations get tense.
The importance of an Indo-Pak match is huge. The 2023-2027 television rights of 3 billion dollars for the International Cricket Council guarantee one India versus Pakistan match every year.
The two countries are placed in the same group to ensure there is at least one match in every global event. If both teams reach the final, then it’s big cash for the broadcasters as well as the ICC.
UK’s The Telegraph writes: “The package of ICC rights includes one men’s global event every year, each bringing the guarantee of at least one India-Pakistan game.
Insiders suggest that perhaps one-tenth of the ICC’s total broadcasting value from 2024-27 – £250 million – is based on the guarantee of an India-Pakistan match each tournament.”
As soon as the Pahalgam incident occurred, there were questions about whether India would ever play Pakistan in the World Cup matches.
The prospect of India boycotting Pakistan’s cricket team is a nightmare not only to the ICC but to the broadcasters and sponsors worldwide.
It will not only affect the next ICC rights (2028-2032) but will also hit the revenues given to the members of the boards as well.
The 600 million dollar pool from which all the 12 Test-playing countries get their annual funding, as well as Associates get peanuts, will not even be half.
If that shortfall happens, then the progress of the game in smaller countries will take a back seat.
Now with the ceasefire, there is a hope that India and Pakistan come to the table and solve their problems through talks. Sanity must prevail.
The first instance of India playing Pakistan will come in the Asia Cup. The four editions of the Asia Cup have been sold for 170 million dollars to Indian broadcasters Sony with assurances of four Pakistan-India matches.
That is the minimum, and could be eight in case all four finals involved the two teams. India is the host of the event, but it is likely to be shifted to either the United Arab Emirates or Oman, with an eye on promoting the game in these countries.
But the main question will be whether India and Pakistan play or not? The broadcast agreement will be breached if they do not play.
International and regional cricket depend on this marquee match. Animosity, tension, escalation and problems will continue until talks are held. Responsible must be taken to task.
Terrorism must stop, and so does the bloodshed. Pakistan has itself borne the brunt of terrorism. Millions of lives have been lost, families have suffered, and infrastructure has been destroyed.
Abandoning any event will encourage the terrorists. Their agenda will succeed.
For the sake of cricket, India and Pakistan must play.
