I grew up watching India vs Pakistan matches with my family and friends. These weren't just cricket games; they were events. My entire friends' circle would gather at one place around a single TV, tensions would run high, and for those few hours, nothing else mattered. Cricket was supposed to be the one thing that brought people together, even when everything else fell apart. What I've witnessed over the past few days has given me pause for reflection. Not because I expected better from institutions driven by money and politics, but because it reminded me how easily we let external circumstances rob us of what we love.
What's Happening?
For those who haven't been following, here's a quick rundown. The ICC T20 World Cup 2026 is being co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. Bangladesh was scheduled to play their group matches in India, but following the political turmoil after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted in August 2024 and fled to India, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) requested their matches be moved to Sri Lanka, citing security concerns. The ICC, now led by Jay Shah, rejected this request, stating there were no "credible" or "verifiable" threats. When Bangladesh refused to travel, the ICC Board voted 14-2 to replace them with Scotland rather than simply relocate their games. The only two votes against? Pakistan and Bangladesh.
In response, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that Pakistan would boycott their scheduled match against India on February 15 as a show of solidarity with Bangladesh. PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi summed it up: "You can't have double standards. You can't say for one country they can do whatever they want and for the others to have to do the complete opposite."
Understanding Human Nature
When I look at this situation clearly, stripped of emotional reaction, I see something predictable. People and institutions act according to their interests and their understanding of the world. Expecting otherwise is like expecting fire not to burn. The question isn't why they act this way; the question is how we choose to respond.
India's Actions
When Pakistan hosted the Champions Trophy in 2025, India refused to travel there. Despite Pakistan not hosting an ICC event for nearly 29 years, and despite Pakistan traveling to India for both the 2016 T20 World Cup and the 2023 ODI World Cup, India demanded a "hybrid model." The ICC agreed, and India played their matches in the UAE while the rest of the tournament happened in Pakistan. So when India asks Bangladesh to "just play in India, it's safe," the inconsistency is evident.
Then there's the handshake episode. During the Asia Cup 2025 in Dubai, India's captain Suryakumar Yadav and his team decided not to shake hands with Pakistani players before or after the match, citing solidarity with the victims of the Pahalgam terror attacks. I understand grief and anger. But a handshake is not an endorsement of politics; it's an acknowledgment of shared humanity. When we refuse to extend basic courtesy to others, we diminish ourselves more than we diminish them.
Pakistan's Response
Pakistan's decision to boycott the India match is framed as moral support for Bangladesh. But let's examine this clearly. Pakistan loses two crucial points and potentially jeopardizes their World Cup campaign. They may face financial penalties of up to $34.5 million. The fans who dreamed of this match are left with nothing. Is this solidarity, or is it a reaction that hurts oneself more than the intended target?
There's a difference between standing for principle and reacting out of wounded pride. One requires sacrifice for a greater good; the other just creates more suffering. I'm not certain which this is, but it's worth asking the question honestly.
What We Cannot Control
Here's what I've come to accept: I cannot control what the BCCI does. I cannot control what the PCB decides. I cannot control the ICC's rulings or the governments' interference. These are external events, as unpredictable as weather. Spending energy being outraged at them is like being angry at the rain for falling.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor observed: "It's pretty disgraceful that sport has been politicised in this way on both sides, frankly." He's not wrong. But disgrace is their burden to carry, not mine. My peace of mind shouldn't depend on cricket boards acting with integrity they may not possess.
What We Can Control
What I can control is my own response. I can choose to appreciate cricket for what it is, not for what institutions make of it. I can watch a match between any two teams and find beauty in a well-timed cover drive or a perfectly pitched yorker. The joy of cricket doesn't require an India-Pakistan match to exist. It exists in every ball bowled with intent and every shot played with courage.
I think about that 2008 Wimbledon final on which I have a blog post. After one of the greatest tennis matches ever played, Federer and Nadal embraced at the net. They showed us what sport can be when athletes choose character over circumstance. That choice was theirs to make. The choice of how we engage with sport is ours to make.
I remember the 2007 T20 World Cup final when India and Pakistan played a thriller in South Africa. After Pakistan lost, their players congratulated the Indian team. There were hugs, handshakes, and mutual respect. Those moments weren't created by boards or governments. They were created by individuals who chose grace under pressure. Such moments will come again, because human beings are capable of rising above their circumstances when they decide to.
A Clearer Perspective
I'm Pakistani by origin, and I've grown up immersed in both countries' cricketing cultures. What I see now is two boards and two governments acting according to their nature: seeking advantage, protecting interests, responding to domestic pressures. This isn't surprising. This is what institutions do.
The real question is: will I let their actions dictate my relationship with the sport I love? Will I let political decisions steal my joy? The answer, for me, is no.
Moving Forward
I don't know how this saga will end. Maybe Pakistan will reverse their decision. Maybe they'll face consequences. Maybe this will set precedents for future tournaments. These outcomes are not in my hands.
What is in my hands is this: I will continue to love cricket. I will appreciate the skill of players regardless of which flag they play under. I will remember that sport, at its best, reveals the heights of human character, and at its worst, reveals its depths. Both are worth observing, because both teach us something about who we are.
Someday, perhaps, we'll see an India vs Pakistan match where the only tension is about who will win. Where players shake hands with genuine respect. Where fans celebrate good cricket over national victory. That day may come, or it may not. Either way, my appreciation for the game doesn't depend on it.
Cricket will survive this, as it has survived many things. And those of us who truly love it will continue to find joy in it, regardless of what those in power decide. That's not hope. That's a choice.
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