Throwback to 1996 when India and Pakistan played as one team

A far cry from farcical comedy that took place at Asia Cup final

- Sa'adi Thawfeeq

Legendary cricketers Wasim Akram and Sachin Tendulkar played together for Wills Combined Asian XI against Sri Lanka

The farcical comedy that took place during the awards ceremony at the conclusion of the 17th Asia Cup tournament in Dubai on Sunday where India refused to accept the winner's trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Mohsin Naqvi who is also Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board and the Interior Minister of Pakistan, just goes to show how much times have changed over the years where politics creeping into sports is ruining everything that sports stands for.

Going back to February 1996, the year Sri Lanka won the cricket World Cup, India and Pakistan players showed solidarity by coming together to play for the Wills Combined XI which was an India Pakistan Combined side against Sri Lanka to prove to the world that Sri Lanka was a safe place to play cricket after Australia and West Indies had declined to tour citing security concerns.

Australia's opening match of the 1996 World Cup was set to be played at the R. Premadasa Cricket Stadium in Colombo which had witnessed a bomb explosion the previous month, and West Indies were due to face the host country a week later.