Asian Cup: India and Pakistan prepare for next cricket battle
Asian Cup: India and Pakistan prepare for next cricket battle
Image source, Getty Images
It is tempting to to think that the off-pitch cricket rivalry between India and Pakistan is outdated, a thing of the last century.
The two cricketing giants will face off in the Asian Cup on Sunday. If the gods smile on the TV moguls, this could be the first of three encounters in the tournament.
The India-Pakistan rivalry has generally been more intense in the hearts and minds of fans than players. Battles have been fought on social media by fans who believe a win on a cricket pitch is conclusive proof that one political system, religion or nation is superior to another.
Over the years, there have been two separate games each time the teams of India and Pakistan have met. The one on the pitch is a competition between two sets of talented players who do their best to win, putting professional pride in the frame. Apart from that, the game symbolizes something else; the war minus the shootings, to use George Orwell's memorable expression.
When the teams last met, at World T20 in October 2021, Pakistan beat India by ten wickets. Indian bowler Mohammed Shami, the only Muslim male in the Indian team, has been trolled mercilessly. He had numbers of 3.5-0-43-0, which is not unusual in a T20 game. But for those looking for scapegoats, Shami fit the bill.
Image source, Getty Images
Trading on social media have been relatively muted in the build-up to Sunday's game - but it will be a long time before an India-Pakis...
It is tempting to to think that the off-pitch cricket rivalry between India and Pakistan is outdated, a thing of the last century.
The two cricketing giants will face off in the Asian Cup on Sunday. If the gods smile on the TV moguls, this could be the first of three encounters in the tournament.
The India-Pakistan rivalry has generally been more intense in the hearts and minds of fans than players. Battles have been fought on social media by fans who believe a win on a cricket pitch is conclusive proof that one political system, religion or nation is superior to another.
Over the years, there have been two separate games each time the teams of India and Pakistan have met. The one on the pitch is a competition between two sets of talented players who do their best to win, putting professional pride in the frame. Apart from that, the game symbolizes something else; the war minus the shootings, to use George Orwell's memorable expression.
When the teams last met, at World T20 in October 2021, Pakistan beat India by ten wickets. Indian bowler Mohammed Shami, the only Muslim male in the Indian team, has been trolled mercilessly. He had numbers of 3.5-0-43-0, which is not unusual in a T20 game. But for those looking for scapegoats, Shami fit the bill.
Image source, Getty Images
Trading on social media have been relatively muted in the build-up to Sunday's game - but it will be a long time before an India-Pakis...
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Getty Images
