Cricket World Cup 2019 – Should India Play Pakistan?

The British summer this year is going to be reasonably hot. Starting 30th of May, up until the middle of July, England and Wales are hosting ‘Cricket World Cup 2019', an event that is played every four years. As we write this article, the tournament has been kicked off.

In wake of a terrorist attack in India in Pulwama, it was made clear by the government of India sometime back that India is not going to play Pakistan in the tournament. As usual, opinions have started flowing thick and fast from all over. Let’s go ahead and examine the issues.

Sports should be above politics. The authors subscribe to this view wholeheartedly. But then anti-terrorism should also be above debate or politics. There is only one thing that goes for terrorism – condemnation, and isolation. And that is precisely what India would do and do it without mincing any words. India has a policy of ‘Zero Tolerance for Terrorism’.

It is not very hard to understand India’s stance. The country has been at the receiving end of Pakistan sponsored terrorist activities quite a few times over the last few years – Attack on Pathankot Air Force Base, attack on Army Camp at Uri, and very recently the attack on CRPF convoy at Pulwama. And it is not that India has been alone. The world cannot forget that the famous terrorist Bin Laden was liquidated by US Navy Seals in Abbottabad (about 55 miles from Pakistan Capital Islamabad). Bangladesh has been a constant target of Pakistan sponsored terrorist activities in their country. More recently, the memories of more than 350 people dying due to a blast in a church during the Sunday mass (People had gathered to celebrate the Easter Mass) in Sri Lanka is too fresh. It has happened just a little over a month back (21st April 2019 to be precise). The perpetrators of the dastardly act have been identified as belonging to the Muslim religion, and all fingers are clearly pointing to a Pakistani hand in it.

The World Cup 2019 this time has a total of ten teams participating in it. The teams are Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and West Indies.

This year’s World Cup is being played on a round robin system. It means every team would play the other team at the League stage. Every team would thus play nine games against the other teams. A total of 45 matches at the League stage. India refusing to play Pakistan would impact only one out of these 45 matches. It would thus put the message across in a big way with very minimal disruption. From India’s point of view foregoing the 2 points will be well worth it. Thereafter the question will arise only if both India and Pakistan reach the Semi Final stage and need to meet each other for Semi Final. India, of course, will refuse to play Pakistan and forego its chances. And the same decision would stand if both teams do not meet in semi-finals but however get to meet in finals.

It would be a tough decision for the country. India is a cricket crazy nation. The entire population of 1.3 billion regardless of age, sex, region, religion or any other differentiator, follows the game of cricket and enjoys the same. It would be a disappointment emotionally. Nevertheless, the polity of the nation is today mature enough to understand and appreciate the decision. And, take the disappointments in their stride. The polity knows it too well that when it comes to ‘anti-terrorism’ stance, India needs to up the ante and drive the world. The day of reckoning – 16th June 2019, when India and Pakistan are slotted to play each other as per the schedule