India vs Pakistan Live
Washouts. Too many one-sided matches. The lack of pizzazz due to the tournament being ludicrously restricted to a measly 10 teams.
It’s hard to dispute that the cricket World Cup has started lethargically. And there is still an interminable 24 days to go until the knockout stages begin – due to the bygone format used in the 1992 edition being revived – even though the top four teams have already broken ahead.
So, the World Cup desperately needs a spark and fortunately fierce foes India and Pakistan play each other in the tournament’s showpiece match on June 16 in Manchester. The main reason why the tournament was culled to 10 teams and reverted to an outdated format was to ensure more games for money-spinner India – mainly to satisfy broadcasters – and, importantly, make sure there is at least one blockbuster India-Pakistan match.
For the tournament’s sake, hopefully the heavyweight India-Pakistan bout lives up to top billing. Unfortunately, perhaps due to the suffocating swirl of anticipation, it so often doesn’t on the big stage. Remarkably, India have won all six encounters against Pakistan at World Cups even though they trail overall in the ODI head-to-head – 73-54.
Matches have often proved to be an anti-climax but the juxtaposing of the teams has long intrigued. Think of the very best rivalries in sport – Sampras-Agassi, Federer-Nadal, Showtime Lakers-Bird’s Celtics – and why they so memorably resonate can largely be attributed to contrasting styles and ideologies.
Pakistan and India is no exception. Pakistan are renowned for their ability to breed mesmerizing quicks, while India has long boasted masterful batsmen. Things have turned slightly with India now boasting arguably the best attack in the world, led by star quick Jasprit Bumrah, and are the hot favorites to continue their dominance over Pakistan at World Cups.
But Pakistan can’t be discounted. After all, they utterly shocked India in one of the great upsets in the final of the Champions Trophy just two years ago and their infamous erratic play has already bubbled over at the World Cup.
After a disastrous opening defeat against the West Indies, Pakistan brilliantly rebounded against hosts and tournament favorites England to further underline their credentials as cricket’s ultimate wildcard.
Pakistan lost a tight match last start against reigning champions Australia, but will be buoyed by the spectacular performance of left-arm ace Mohammad Amir who’s finally reaching the starry heights reserved for him before his career spiraled after being jailed for match-fixing.
Of course, the on-field dynamism of the teams mostly gets overshadowed by the politicking between two countries at loggerheads. Shockingly, India and Pakistan have only played each other four times since the 2015 World Cup because of a hard-line Indian government stance in a great shame for cricket – arguably the sport’s biggest travesty that appears unlikely to resolve any time soon.
Relations between the governments nosedived after February’s terrorist attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, where a suicide bomber killed 40 Indian paramilitary forces. Pakistan-based Islamist militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad claimed responsibility prompting India Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vow for retaliation as tensions heightened.
The ripple effects, of course, have been felt in cricket – which is often used as a political tool by the bickering governments. At an International Cricket Council meeting in February, in a not so subtle attempt at getting Pakistan barred from the World Cup, the Board of Control for Cricket in India urged cricket’s governing body to sever ties with countries from which "terrorism emanates".
The blowtorch was further applied from several Indian legends calling for India to withdraw from the match.
It led to Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ehsan Mani issuing a stern warning. “If attitudes don’t change, I don’t see how the 2021 (T20) World Cup and 2023 World Cup can go ahead in India,” Mani told me at the height of the tension in March.
Fortunately, the posturing from India did not eventuate ensuring the tournament would not descend into high farce.
Cricket may still be invisible in many parts of the world, but it’s worth noting that India and Pakistan amount for around 20% of the world’s population. And cricket is almost a religion in those countries making matches rare opportunities for diplomacy amid a volatile part of the world.
Interest for the match has been at fever pitch for a long time with World Cup tournament director Steve Elworth declaring it had attracted “over 400,000 applications for tickets”.
"To put that (number) in perspective, England v Australia was around 230-240,000,” he said. “And the final was around about 260-270,000 applications for tickets.”
Matches between India and Pakistan have produced the three highest television ratings in cricket history behind the 2011 World Cup final between India and Sri Lanka.
The high stakes, fanatical fandom and political ramifications makes the rivalry unparalleled in all of sports. It doesn’t matter what you throw out - Lakers-Celtics. Yankees-Red Sox. Brazil-Argentina in soccer – nothing quite compares to the hysteria and significance of India-Pakistan.
Even if you’re not a cricket fan, India versus Pakistan at the iconic Old Trafford is a sports contest not to be missed.
Although England’s weather could rudely intervene once more. The forecast for Manchester is for – you guessed it – wet weather.
A rain-marred match – or, dare I say, washout – would be disastrous for a World Cup that has largely underwhelmed thus far.
It’s hard to dispute that the cricket World Cup has started lethargically. And there is still an interminable 24 days to go until the knockout stages begin – due to the bygone format used in the 1992 edition being revived – even though the top four teams have already broken ahead.
So, the World Cup desperately needs a spark and fortunately fierce foes India and Pakistan play each other in the tournament’s showpiece match on June 16 in Manchester. The main reason why the tournament was culled to 10 teams and reverted to an outdated format was to ensure more games for money-spinner India – mainly to satisfy broadcasters – and, importantly, make sure there is at least one blockbuster India-Pakistan match.
For the tournament’s sake, hopefully the heavyweight India-Pakistan bout lives up to top billing. Unfortunately, perhaps due to the suffocating swirl of anticipation, it so often doesn’t on the big stage. Remarkably, India have won all six encounters against Pakistan at World Cups even though they trail overall in the ODI head-to-head – 73-54.
Matches have often proved to be an anti-climax but the juxtaposing of the teams has long intrigued. Think of the very best rivalries in sport – Sampras-Agassi, Federer-Nadal, Showtime Lakers-Bird’s Celtics – and why they so memorably resonate can largely be attributed to contrasting styles and ideologies.
Pakistan and India is no exception. Pakistan are renowned for their ability to breed mesmerizing quicks, while India has long boasted masterful batsmen. Things have turned slightly with India now boasting arguably the best attack in the world, led by star quick Jasprit Bumrah, and are the hot favorites to continue their dominance over Pakistan at World Cups.
But Pakistan can’t be discounted. After all, they utterly shocked India in one of the great upsets in the final of the Champions Trophy just two years ago and their infamous erratic play has already bubbled over at the World Cup.
After a disastrous opening defeat against the West Indies, Pakistan brilliantly rebounded against hosts and tournament favorites England to further underline their credentials as cricket’s ultimate wildcard.
Pakistan lost a tight match last start against reigning champions Australia, but will be buoyed by the spectacular performance of left-arm ace Mohammad Amir who’s finally reaching the starry heights reserved for him before his career spiraled after being jailed for match-fixing.
Of course, the on-field dynamism of the teams mostly gets overshadowed by the politicking between two countries at loggerheads. Shockingly, India and Pakistan have only played each other four times since the 2015 World Cup because of a hard-line Indian government stance in a great shame for cricket – arguably the sport’s biggest travesty that appears unlikely to resolve any time soon.
Relations between the governments nosedived after February’s terrorist attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, where a suicide bomber killed 40 Indian paramilitary forces. Pakistan-based Islamist militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad claimed responsibility prompting India Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vow for retaliation as tensions heightened.
The ripple effects, of course, have been felt in cricket – which is often used as a political tool by the bickering governments. At an International Cricket Council meeting in February, in a not so subtle attempt at getting Pakistan barred from the World Cup, the Board of Control for Cricket in India urged cricket’s governing body to sever ties with countries from which "terrorism emanates".
The blowtorch was further applied from several Indian legends calling for India to withdraw from the match.
It led to Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ehsan Mani issuing a stern warning. “If attitudes don’t change, I don’t see how the 2021 (T20) World Cup and 2023 World Cup can go ahead in India,” Mani told me at the height of the tension in March.
Fortunately, the posturing from India did not eventuate ensuring the tournament would not descend into high farce.
Cricket may still be invisible in many parts of the world, but it’s worth noting that India and Pakistan amount for around 20% of the world’s population. And cricket is almost a religion in those countries making matches rare opportunities for diplomacy amid a volatile part of the world.
Interest for the match has been at fever pitch for a long time with World Cup tournament director Steve Elworth declaring it had attracted “over 400,000 applications for tickets”.
"To put that (number) in perspective, England v Australia was around 230-240,000,” he said. “And the final was around about 260-270,000 applications for tickets.”
Matches between India and Pakistan have produced the three highest television ratings in cricket history behind the 2011 World Cup final between India and Sri Lanka.
The high stakes, fanatical fandom and political ramifications makes the rivalry unparalleled in all of sports. It doesn’t matter what you throw out - Lakers-Celtics. Yankees-Red Sox. Brazil-Argentina in soccer – nothing quite compares to the hysteria and significance of India-Pakistan.
Even if you’re not a cricket fan, India versus Pakistan at the iconic Old Trafford is a sports contest not to be missed.
Although England’s weather could rudely intervene once more. The forecast for Manchester is for – you guessed it – wet weather.
A rain-marred match – or, dare I say, washout – would be disastrous for a World Cup that has largely underwhelmed thus far.