Is it good to have India vs Pakistan in the prospects of Cricket sport?

Is it good to have India vs Pakistan in the prospects of Cricket sport?

Many would admit India vs Pakistan matches are not just a mere game, it's mostly an emotional rollercoaster. It is no surprise that after the partition both countries shared a somewhat hostile relationship. When it comes to cricket both teams have mostly played on neutral grounds; the United Arab Emirates and Canada.

The very first time India and Pakistan played against each other was in 1954. During this time the Pakistan team toured India. From 1947 to 1965 India and Pakistan faced each other only three times, in the test series. While both countries have used Cricket as a form of icebreaker, the tension between these two rivalries has often caused storms after every face-off.

Despite the results, both countries prepare for matches with grand gestures. From watching the game on big screens in remote villages to having a countdown on social media, India-Pakistan matches are always looked forward to. "We need to maintain a cricketing bond,” says Ramiz Raja, the leader of the Pakistan Cricket Board. He further adds, "Our stance is, ‘The further politics remains from cricket, the better."

Despite the complex past, both countries have shown immense respect toward each other on the ground. The hospitality of both countries is remarkable. Former Pakistan cricketer Shahid Afridi recalls, "I had hosted the whole Indian team at my house, a full spread, of kebabs and all,” it took place in one of those tours that happened decades ago. He adds "When they arrived, I found out they were all vegetarians."

I had to quickly scramble for lentils and vegetables.” Though there's mostly positivity surrounding the Indo-Pak matches for Kashmir it is anxiety-ridden. One match can turn things upside down for Kashmiris so most cricket enthusiasts are advised to control their body language and emotions and stay away from making any snarky comments during the game.

In a recent match of the Asia Cup these rivalries faced each other. With a great batting knock and a bowling spell, Hardik Pandya carved the way for India's victory. India took the match point home by 5 wickets in Dubai International Stadium. Later they encountered each other again in a super 4 match and this time Pakistan overthrew the Indian team by 5 wickets.

Virat's knock of 60(44) and poor fielding from Pakistan reached India to a great total of 181. Although Pakistan struggled to put runs on the board during the first half of the match, Mohammad Rizwan's sharp batting changed the face of the game shortly.

“India v Pakistan is one of the biggest games in all sport, no doubt. The nature of those two countries doing battle creates such a feverish atmosphere. It would be of great benefit to see the fixture played more often,” says former English captain Kevin Pietersen on BetwaySatta.

When it comes to the India-Pakistan Cricket battle we cannot ignore the commercial prosperity it brings to the table, ICC releases a statement "snapped up within minutes of going on sale", after all the tickets, even additional standing room tickets of Indo-Pak match in T20 World Cup 2022 are sold out within few minutes of going on sale. The global cricket surface says over 500,000 tickets were sold for the upcoming event taking place in Australia on October 23.

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