The Indian Cricket Board is adamant on not going to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy. There is hardly any limit to the excitement of a match between India and Pakistan. In such a situation, the question arises whether it is necessary to create a border for a cricket match.

Highlights

  • Indian Cricket Board is adamant on not going to Pakistan for ICC Champions Trophy
  • There is hardly any limit to the excitement of the match between India and Pakistan
  • In such a situation, the question arises whether it is necessary to create a border for a cricket match

Babar Azam and Rohit Sharma during India vs Pakistan match.

Currently, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) is the most talked about event in the cricket world. This test series between India and Australia is considered to be at the top of the excitement meter. If any other series can surpass BGT in this regard, then it is the series between India and Pakistan. But unfortunately, the cricket lovers of the present era are not aware of the extent of excitement.

Fans will welcome

it because sports and terror cannot go together. This is a clear view of the Indian government and under this, India has ended bilateral cricketing relations with Pakistan since the Mumbai terror attacks in 2008. However, India-Pak cricket is at a point right now from where a new beginning can be made.

Relations should be normalized

The ICC Champions Trophy is to be held in Pakistan next year and if the Indian cricket team crosses the border to participate in the event, hardly any sports lover will have any problem with it. If the Pakistani team is allowed to come to India, if there is no objection to the two teams playing a match against each other at a neutral venue, if other sports can be carried on, then normalizing cricket relations should also not create any issue.

That first tour

Before 1965, India and Pakistan came face to face on the sports field many times. The bitterness of partition was never seen on the field at that time. The cricket teams of the two countries clashed for the first time in 1952. Abdul Hafiz Kardar, who had represented undivided India on the tour of England in 1946, was now the captain of the Pakistani team. The first test match between the two countries was played in Delhi. The then President Rajendra Prasad inaugurated it.

Even then

the Hindu organization protested against that series and even tried to disrupt the matches, but the enthusiasm of the players and sports lovers remained at its peak throughout the series. Another match of the series was played in Nagpur. There the Hindu Mahasabha said that it would protest outside the stadium and try its best to stop the match. Despite this, the stadium was packed to the brim every day.

First break

After the Indo-Pak war in 1965, the sports relations between the two countries also came to a halt. For about 5 years, the two did not play any game against each other. In 1970, sports relations were established once again through the Davis Cup. Then the Pakistani tennis team came to India. However, this relation ended in just 2 years, when another war broke out in 1972. Then in 1978, an attempt was made to improve relations through a bilateral series of cricket and hockey. The current deadlock has been there since the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attack.

Long gap:

The two neighbours have not played any bilateral series for about 17 years. During this time, the entire generation of cricket has changed. Stars like Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh were the last Indian players who got a chance to play Test against Pakistan. The players of the generation that came after them, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, do not have a single match recorded against Pakistan in their Test records.

Incomplete record

Perhaps not many people would have noticed that Virat Kohli has not played a single Test against Pakistan till date. That is, it can also be said that his Test skills have not been fully tested yet. Just think, in the future when there will be a comparison between Virat Kohli and his contemporaries like Joe Root, Steve Smith and Kane Williamson, then there will be some deficiency in Virat's statistics, which will put him behind the rest.

Impact on other sports

The Champions Trophy controversy has also engulfed other sports. The Indian Kabaddi team had to go to Pakistan for a friendly match, but permission was not given. The Indian Blind Cricket Team has also not been given permission to go to Pakistan to participate in the World Cup. The Indian Blind Cricket Association accepted the decision, but also expressed surprise as to why this decision was kept on hold till the last moment. The Indian Blind Cricket Team has already gone to Pakistan and then there was no security issue. If the Champions Trophy issue had not heated up, then perhaps this time too no objection would have been raised to the blind team's going.

Tangled relationships

  • The first series was held in 1952
  • Relationships are on and off
  • Cricket is suffering