Chaos in Pakistan will hit sports as well
If the Russia versus Ukraine war has caught the attention of all nations, Pakistan facing trauma is sad. Unfortunately, its sport will suffer.
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Pakistan is on fire, literally. No, one is not talking about Imran Khan bowling at a furious pace and making life miserable for the Indian batsmen. This is about Imran Khan, the former Pakistan cricket captain, winner of the 1992 World Cup, being taken into custody. What followed in the rogue nation across the Indian border is violence, following Imran’s arrest.
That the Pakistan Army controls the state, and it’s politicians are stooges, is well known. We will leave geopolitics aside to diplomatic experts and foreign policy analysts. What the situation now is in Pakistan is a clear indicator there is no chance of sports taking place there. More specifically, it is pointless for Najam Sethi and his ilk to crib about the Asia Cup cricket being shifted out of Pakistan.
Pakistan is in turmoil, perhaps, suffering from own bad karma. People have called it a terror factory, which is true. The situation is now so grim, day to day chaos will be the norm. As it is, Pakistan faces huge debts after massive borrowing, unemployment, wage cuts, and shortage of food grain. It is impossible to think it can host the Asia Cup. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will be mute spectators as the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) headed by Jay Shah will formalize shifting the Asia Cup to Sri Lanka.
It is a matter of time before the official announcement comes, and Pakistan cricketers can only crib about it. The turmoil in Pakistan, with the Army also coming under attack, is crazy. There is no way any sporting team can visit Pakistan in the next few months. Internal security has taken a massive hit, so goodbye Asia Cup.
For all those who feel India is biased and does not send any sports team to Pakistan, this is the best reality check. Pakistan is unsafe and if there has to be any sport played between the two nations, it cannot be a bilateral series, as in the past. There can only be international tournaments like cricket or hockey, where India versus Pakistan contests grab eyeballs.
The ICC World Cup will be played in India in October/November. There has been a buzz, Pakistan will not come or even boycott. Given the flux the nation is in, it just has to shut up. If it does not want to come to India, well and good. It was tough posturing, even in the past, like releasing a gas balloon! For India, it is wait and watch.
Pakistan needs political normalcy first to be counted in sports
There has been speculation the match between India and Pakistan in the coming World Cup will be held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. This will be a blue riband contest, though for political as well as sporting reasons, each time India defeat Pakistan is so important for the former.
Pakistan has cursed India many times and yet wanted a bilateral cricket series, even if it is held at a neutral venue. All that turns into hogwash now as the Indian government has remained steadfast, there can be no sporting links with a terror factory, which Pakistan is. From 26/11 in Mumbai to frequent skirmishes on the border, including the 2019 Pulwama attack by a Jaish suicide bomber, Pakistan has been an incorrigible nation.
There may be sympathy for Imran Khan the cricketer, as he is now in custody. But there is no sympathy for Imran, the former Pakistan Prime Minister. He showed the same DNA as all other tricky Paki politicians, hate India and bait India. He is guilty of tying up with wrong nations as well, China included.
The situation is now one of survival. If this country has to stand up and be counted in sports, there has to be political normalcy first. It has to prepare for the Hangzhou Asian Games as well this September and the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024. All that will be tough now, due to the churning in Pakistan. The future is tense.
At a time when the world hockey body (FIH) is headed by Tayyab Ikram, a Pakistani who holds two passports — Pakistan plus Macau – he will also be worried. He has talked of the FIH wanting to help Pakistan’s hockey via the FIH funding. One must not forget that FIH has major sponsors from India in the form of Hero MotoCorp, the Odisha government, and Dream 11. Should these Indian sponsors support the FIH now, more so when a Pakistani is heading the world body? This question also does crop up.
Tayyab had said that FIH had helped India when Indian hockey was in crisis in 2010. To now imagine the FIH can help Pakistan with the main sponsors being Indian companies and a state government is bizarre. Tayyab himself will know Pakistan hockey will plunge into deeper chaos after the latest political developments.
Sport will pray for normalcy in Pakistan. If the Russia versus Ukraine war has caught the attention of all nations, Pakistan facing trauma is sad. Unfortunately, its sport will suffer. Nobody likes to travel to Pakistan unless forced. Certainly, India has been prudent in dealing with the rogue neighbor.
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S Kannan
(382 Articles Published)