Hyderabad: The precariousness of India visiting Pakistan for the Asia Cup and the latter touring India during the World Cup remains.
And with the uncertainty surrounding the whole issue at hand, a gaffe or an 'irresponsible statement' mostly prevails over an apposite or a coherent remark. This time, it came from the other side of the border, one which may remind of Pakistan's Finance Minister Ishaq Dar's comments in January this year where he said that Allah is responsible for the development and prosperity of Pakistan, a cash-strapped country reeling from acute food shortage and drying fuel at pumps.
"If Allah can create Pakistan then He can also protect, develop, and make it prosper," Mr Dar had said back then. In the same vein, Pakistan's former skipper Javed Miandad too made his intentions clear with regard to India's persistent denial of touring Pakistan and the latter's visit to India during the World Cup still lying in the doldrums.
About what he had to say relating to the security concerns of India: "Forget security. We believe that agar maut aani hai toh aani hai. Zindagi aur maut toh allah ke haath mein hai" (If you're destined to die, you will die. Life and death is in the hands of the almighty), even as he laid emphasis that India too should tour Pakistan. He said: "If they call us today, we will go. But they should return too. The thing is the last time we went, but they haven't come here since. It's their turn now."
Why countries are skeptical of touring Pakistan?
It all started when the Sri Lanka team was attacked by 12 armed men who fired at the team's bus on March 3, 2009, in Lahore city that had the cricketing world gripped by fear and anger as they watched newscasts on their TV sets, stunned. The Sri Lanka team was supposed to tour India but the BCCI had canceled the series in the wake of the 2008 Mumbai attack following which they toured Pakistan to make up for the schedule and the lost finances. This also led to Pakistan losing out on the 2011 World Cup hosting rights.
The Mumbai attack had made the matters worse and the Indian government forbade the Indian team from touring Pakistan. Pakistani players have not been able to participate in the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL) since then and there hasn't been any two-nation series. The two side solely meet during the ICC or Asia Cup events.
Read: Pakistan could lose USD 3 million if it skips Asia Cup: PCB chief Najam Sethi
On 14 February 2019, 40 Indian CRPF men were martyred after vehicle-borne suicide bomber blew them up. The follow-up of the harrowing and painful incident was a national-wide call for the Indian team to boycott the Pakistan's game at the World Cup. However, the match was held as scheduled.
Which team have toured Pakistan since then?
New Zealand team had opted out in 2021 on account of security concerns but came back later for the ODI series. The high-profile team that includes England and Australia have toured the country after over a decade of cricketing lull, but continued cricketing activity in the region is still like finding a needle in the sea in Pakistan.
And the apprehensions in the Indian establishment is palpable as the country continues to be hit by terrorists frequently. Despite the tall promises made by the administrators, security remains a tall order in the country. In Janurary, policemen praying in a mosque in Peshawar were found to be sitting ducks when at least 59 of them were killed in a suicide bombing attack. The occurrence of bombing happened in a tightly guarded police headquarters area.
What are the recent updates on India's participation in Asia Cup and Pakistan's taking part in the World Cup in India?
A PTI report, quoting sources, claimed that Pakistan is willing to participate at the ODI World Cup given that their chosen venues -- Kolkata and Chennai -- would be considered, where they have felt most 'safe' in their earlier assignments. The tournament is slated to start tentatively on October 5, matches of which are spread across 12 Indian cities including Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Mumbai, Rajkot, Bengaluru, Delhi, Indore, Guwahati and Hyderabad, Dharamasala.
It may not seem practical to hold these two matches in just those two venues as it's not possible both logistically and financially. Ahmedabad, with a seating capacity of 1,32,000, can provide the ICC profits that are expected out of the matches when these two countries face each other. Moreover, the final is set to be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium and another venue might be in place.
About India, the BCCI has made it clear that the team will not visit Pakistan until they get a clean chit from the government to visit the country. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), on the other hand, have proposed that India play at a neutral venue. Other reports claimed that matches in two countries -- Pakistan and the other chosen venue -- may not be possible. However, there has been no finality as to where will India play.
And the conundrum around the biggest rivalry in the cricketing world continues, both on and off the field.
