Engagement Farmers’ Cup 2025

Many really smart people now share the position that playing cricket with Pakistan is politically, strategically, and morally wrong, Itis just a poor appreciation of competitive sport

- SHEKHAR GUPTA.

We understand that Operation Sindoor is formally still on. Borders are quiet, however. The hostilities have moved to cricket, if only off the playing field. The fate of the war on terror waged by the fourth-largest economy, third-biggest army, and largest population isbeing determined by whether it plays against Pakistan or not.

This, in fact, isn’t an argument about cricket, sportin general, or even India-Pakistan relations. It isa humble — ifreckless — attempt to call out our giant hypocrisy.

‘To underline the hypocrisy, I shall take you to Tokyo’s giant National Stadium where a historic first played out: Four athletes from the subcontinent — two from India, one from Pakistan, and one from Sri Lanka — were among the 12 javelin throw finalists at the World Athletics Championship.

If you had tracked all social mediahandlesthroughtheday,and specifically in the short period when the throws were taking place, you would have found nothing trending onit. And definitely no outrage that Neeraj Chopra and Sachin Yadav were competing against a Pakistani, Arshad Nadeem.

So, here’s some perspective. In the 130 years since modern Olympic Games began in Athens in 1896, the subcontinent, that is two billion people or one-fourth of the world, has won only three individual Olympic golds. That’s no typo. Two of those were amongthe finalists in Tokyo, Neeraj Chopraand Arshad Nadeem.

First of all, given this field, you would have expected greater interest in the event. But no. It was still the obsession over whether India should play Pakistan or not. I tracked Pakistani media and debates too. They had the reigning Olympic gold medallist and world record holder going up against his arch Indian rival, yet very little excitement. Our passion is cricket-specific.