The millions of fans on both sides of the border who were disappointed by the failure to complete the Pakistan-India match in the Super Four Group stage should blame the geniuses who scheduled the Group stage matches in Sri Lanka, solely to prevent a Pakistan-India clash occurring on Pakistani soil, as would have happened if the Super Four matches had been hosted in Pakistan, as was originally proposed when the two countries agreed to jointly host the Asia Cup. However, the Secretary of the Board for Control of Cricket in India is Jay Shah, son of Indian External Affairs Minister and BJP President Amit Shah. who is also the Asian Cricket Council Chairman. At this time of year, Sri Lanka is definitely a rain risk. The monsoon is not over, and only someone with a non-cricketing agenda would take such a risk. The optimism proved misplaced, and the match had to be interrupted at an interesting juncture. The disappointment was all the greater, after the previous clash between the two was washed out after only one innings.
It is unfortunate that there has been another occasion when the BCCI has played the Pakistan Cricket Board for a fool. Jay Shah has clearly deemed it more important to deny Pakistan the financial benefits that hosting entails, and that being one half of the India-Pakistan matches. India might be a power in the game, but the way it is riding roughshod over even international tournaments, solely to do down Pakistan, is go in to damage the game. The PCB has of late become a political football, with three chiefs in quick succession, all reflecting political loyalty rather than administrative ability. The PCB has generally tried to stand for the good of cricket, and the need to keep the fans’ interest paramount.
Pakistan and India have not got an ideal relationship. However, cricket should be used as a means to solving their mutual problems and furthering a productive knowledge, rather than having India use it as a means to play dominance games. The result is that the game suffers, and the fans suffer, as they are suffering now, on both sides of the border.
