Why India-Pakistan rivalry is cricket's biggest 'tragedy'

A simple handshake between Pakistan captain Salman Agha and Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav in the Asia Cup press conference sparked an avalanche of social media abuses against a player affectionately known as ‘Sky’ in India.

Tension is palpable ahead of Sunday’s highly anticipated Asia Cup cricket clash between the two nuclear-armed South Asian rivals who almost came to the brink of an all-out war in May.

But a harmless handshake in Dubai between the captains of the two cricket teams at an official press conference has now become a tool for mudslingers.

The irony is not lost on those who have rarely seen bad blood spill into India-Pakistan sporting encounters despite the decades-long political feuds fuelled by the violent 1947 partition.

Nothing now seems to escape the wrath of the jingoistic social media generation that expects cricket players to behave like professional boxers at pre-fight press events, where intimidation, abuses, and even pushing and shoving are the norm.

Unlike boxing, cricket is not a contact sport, but matches between India and Pakistan have the unmatched power to bring the two countries to a standstill.

Two full-scale wars (1965 and 1971) and numerous conflicts may have stopped cricket ties over the years, yet periods of relative peace allowed fans to witness some gladiatorial battles on the field.

Who can ever forget that 1986 Austral-Asia Cup final in Sharjah, where Javed Miandad etched his name into folklore with an epic knock, which culminated in a magical six off the last ball to earn his team a victory against all odds?

Or Virat Kohli’s refusal to surrender in 2022, even as India faced a seemingly hopeless situation — needing 28 off just eight balls in Melbourne — before pulling off the impossible chase with genius shot-making, bringing 100,000 fans at the MCG and millions across the world to their feet?

Absolutely tragic

India-born former Pakistani first-class cricketer and journalist Qamar Ahmed speaks about this cricket rivalry with a tinge of sadness. For someone whose family was saved by their Hindu neighbours in Bihar during the 1947 riots before they moved to Pakistan, Ahmed always dreamed of cricket becoming a bridge between the two countries for lasting peace.

“In cricket, the Ashes (the Test series between England and Australia, which started in 1882) was the biggest rivalry until India became independent, and the new country, Pakistan, was created in 1947. Pakistan soon became an ICC full-member country and the cricket relationship between India and Pakistan progressed. Gradually, it turned out to be a great rivalry which has been passionately followed by fans on either side of the border,” the 87-year-old said.

“But unfortunately, this rivalry has been marred by the interference of political and religious influences, which is tragic for the true fans of the game. I wish this had never happened because fans on both sides of the border have always loved these matches and their cricketers. Both countries have produced some wonderful personalities in the game.

“If not for political and religious influences, this would have been among the greatest sports rivalries — as big as some of the famous football rivalries. If they had played regularly, this would have been wonderful. But the refusal to play each other, the refusal to play in several events, has eclipsed this rivalry. Unfortunately, this rivalry may not last as long as the Ashes series, which started more than 140 years ago. This is absolutely tragic.”

Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, two of the greatest fast bowlers of all time, still maintain that their biggest tragedy in cricket was not getting an opportunity to play Test matches against India from 1990 to 1998 due to political tensions, which robbed them of a chance to test their skills against India’s Sachin Tendulkar, arguably the most complete batsman in the game’s history.

The peak years of Tendulkar, who went on to become the only man to have scored 100 international centuries, never collided with the peak years of the two Ws.

Ahmed, a former left-arm spinner who is the only bowler to have dismissed the legendary Mohammad brothers of Pakistan cricket — Hanif Mohammad, Mushtaq Mohammad and Sadiq Mohammad — in domestic matches, echoes Wasim and Waqar’s sentiments.

“This (the 1990s) was indeed the most tragic period in this rivalry,” he said. “During that period, Sachin Tendulkar emerged as a truly great batsman, and India also had some other fantastic players like Mohammad Azharuddin, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble and Pakistan had Wasim and Waqar, probably the greatest fast bowling pair of all time, as well as Inzamam-ul Haq and Saeed Anwar. And they never got a chance to play Test cricket against each other for almost 10 years. But, you know, many of these India and Pakistan players got to play with and against each other in county cricket (in England) during that time, and they got along really well.”

The magic of 2004

Amrit Mathur, a veteran Indian cricket official whose book ‘Pitchside: My Life in Indian Cricket’, offered fans some great behind-the-scenes stories, fondly recalls the bonhomie during the famous 2004 series billed as the ‘Friendship Series’.

“It was a memorable tour for many reasons — cricket-wise, of course, it was terrific for India, we won the ODI series and then also the Test series, both for the first time in history on Pakistan soil,” he said.

“It was also equally successful off the field because we saw great warmth; it was a very friendly tour. The reception that the Indian team, the Indian fans and the Indian media received was amazing. I think it was a defining moment in terms of India-Pakistan relations and cricket relations as well between the two countries.”

Among the many memorable moments, what remains closest to Mathur’s heart is the friendship between the players of the two teams in 2004.

“You know, after the end of each match, both teams used to take the same flights to reach the next venue for the next game. The teams sat separately on the flights until takeoff. But once the seat belt sign was off, Indian and Pakistani players were sitting next to each other, chatting and laughing together,” he said.

“Looking at them, it was hard to believe that the same players were competing so hard on the field just a few hours earlier. But in the plane, they were not in separate groups anymore.”

When India won the last two ODIs in Lahore to script a famous series win, the heart of Pakistan’s cultural capital was under the spell of India’s passionate fans.

The magic of that night is still fresh in the mind of Subhan Ahmad, the former Pakistan Cricket Board Chief Operating Officer.

“After India sealed the ODI series in Lahore, hundreds of Indian fans poured into Liberty Chowk, the city’s bustling heart, to celebrate the historic triumph,” he said.

“They were waving the Indian flags and cheering for their team; the atmosphere was electric. Yet remarkably, there was no interference, no tension, only pure celebration. Witnessing Indian fans revel so openly in Lahore was almost surreal. I never thought I would see anything like that in my life. In a way, it was fitting that the ‘Friendship Series’ brought people from the two countries together.”

Is it just another match?

Few sporting battles have reached the same iconic status as the 1986 World Cup quarterfinal between Argentina and England. That quarterfinal is known as Maradona’s match for the incomparable Argentine’s impact on the field and his two famous goals — the controversial Hand of God goal and the second one, a mazy dribble from the centre of the field beating four England players and the goalkeeper to find the back of the net. But what many people are not aware of is the inspiration behind the greatest one-man show in football history.

Having seen his country suffer a brutal defeat to England in the ‘Falkland War’, Diego Maradona and his team were extra motivated to beat England in football.

“Everyone in our team knew somebody who lost somebody in the war,” Maradona said in an interview when asked about what inspired him to deliver that unbelievable performance.

Compared to England and Argentina, the political rivalry between India and Pakistan is far more complex.

Mathur admits that even a player of Tendulkar's stature feels the pressure to perform well in the high-voltage India-Pakistan matches.

While not quite Maradona-esque, Tendulkar produced a sublime, match-winning performance against Pakistan — a stunning 98 off 75 balls — at the 2003 World Cup in South Africa.

“Sachin admitted after that match in the 2003 World Cup that he had been mentally preparing for it for more than a year. So that tells you how big these matches are,” Mathur said.

“Players know the importance of it because it’s not just another match; they know the expectations, and they also know that if you do well in this game, you instantly become a bigger player. So, it’s a special game.”

Power of cricket

After moving to Pakistan in 1948, Qamar Ahmed became a successful first-class cricketer before leaving for England to work as a cricket journalist for the BBC, The Guardian and The Telegraph.

But in his heart, there was always a desire to pay a visit to India and meet the Hindu family that saved his family in the 1947 riots.

Remarkably, it was cricket which brought Ahmed back to India.

“I finally got the opportunity to go there as a cricket reporter. I went there for the BBC to cover the 1978-79 Test series in India. I was very excited to go to my hometown in Bihar and meet the Hindu family that saved our lives during the communal riots, the family of five brothers, the kindest people who saved our lives,” Ahmed said.

“Meeting them was a wonderful feeling, one of the great moments of my life, to see my saviours. In my autobiography, ‘Far More Than A Game’, the first chapter belongs to them and their kindness. If not for cricket, I would not have been able to go back to India and thank them for saving us."

But now when he looks back, Ahmed feels sad.

"Because of the political and religious interferences, this cricket rivalry has suffered a lot," he said. "It’s a big tragedy for me as a former cricketer and a cricket fan because this game has the power to heal wounds and bring people together!”

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