India-Pakistan rivalry to resume!

Jinnah-Gandhi Trophy! How perfunctory does it sound? Politics, Politics and more politics! We do know that the two countries do not share a cordial relation, at least not on the boundaries. The two warring nations are trying to find peace in a sport, and how ironic does it sound today, after the unwarranted attacks on the Indian soldiers on a consistent basis. Maybe I am biased but let’s not get into politics now, and focus on cricket. I mean, that’s what I want to convey to the person who suggested on naming the series thus.

Cricket is a sport, and it should remain far away from the fickle politics that have been the plying ground for both these countries. We have a history, even in sports, both the teams trying to breathe fire whenever they face off. Emotions are a bundle of TNT, and if the players return home empty-handed, they would have to deal with the wrath of the fans. Being the emotionally charged nation that we are, any defeat is considered personal, and every trivial detail appears magnified.

Pakistan has always had an upper hand in the contests as they have more victories on paper. But India are not far behind, out-classing the Pakistanis whenever they have faced off in important tournaments. Remember, India have a clean record in the World Cups. India was partially responsible for Pakistan’s ouster from the 2003 World Cup when a spirited chase from India, led by the master himself, found Pakistan wanting.

Jinnah and Gandhi would probably berate themselves for drawing the dreaded boundary across the nation. The regret does not only include the constant wars and predicaments, but denying the fans a chance to see “The greatest team” in action. Imagine, in the 1999 World Cup, the team would have consisted of Sachin Tendulkar, Saeed Anwar, Rahul Dravid, Inzamam-Ul-Haq, Sourav Ganguly, Moin Khan, Javagal Srinath, Anil Kumble, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis – A dream team by any means, and Indian cricket couldn’t have better reasons to rejoice. Australia would have cowered against us and our bowling worries would have come to an end.

It is easy to imagine it, easier to visualize but to know that it will probably never happen, for the hasty decisions made by the leaders, is sad. I see the strange and hidden sarcasm in naming the team after these leaders. I do not blame them, of course, but if not for them we could have lived in harmony.

Personally, I believe that sports should stay out of politics and therefore, coming back to the naming the highly electrifying contests between India and Pakistan, it should be a cricketer’s name or two cricketers- one from each country who had a huge impact whenever these two teams clashed.

One prominent name that occurs to us is of the Little Master’s. Who can forget his exploits against the hostile Pakistan bowling attack? Not the bowlers certainly. They would be still having the nightmares, after the “Tendulkar Treatment”. He was a Pakistan party spoiler. There are quite a few knocks that come to our mind, including the seven centuries he hit while he faced an extraordinary bunch of bowlers, probably the best in the world at that time. Especially his encounters against the likes of Wasim Akram, Shoaib Akthar and Waqar Younis have been a source of moral happiness against the old foes. No name could be more apt for this tournament, and it would be an honour to both India and Pakistan, for the master commands respect on either side of the border.

Another personality who could earn the prestigious honour of having his name on the board would be the legendary Javed Miandad. He was traditionally called the ‘India Slayer’, for his epic moments against us over the years. His moment of fame was the last ball six he hit off Chetan Sharma, a thorn that still pricks the heart of some die-hard senior fans. He had such an impact on India- Pakistan encounters, and his name definitely deserves to be on par with the Indian master.

There could be many champions when it comes to our rivalry, but none of them could match the above mentioned masters of the game. Maybe, there will be many more heroes in the future, but the ultimate glory would belong to Sachin and Javed, and hence, the trophy should be named after them.

The ties between the nations have worsened after the recently concluded series, but it is only a matter of time before the battle resumes. Therefore, it is necessary to organize the tournament to add more hype and hoopla to the much awaited series across the border the next time it looks like happening! The Pakistanis have already initiated the verbal mind games by inviting the Indian team home, challenging them to defeat them in their own den. Rivalries never die. They only come back, rising from the ashes, stronger than ever!