avatarBilal Ali

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3801

Abstract

</div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*xVFo4QYkasEigrax3lKWdQ.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="987e">The 2007 Cricket World Cup had 16 teams that participated in the group stages. The 2011 and 2015 Men’s World Cup editions had 14 participants. The 2019 World Cup also had 10 participants. By restricting the World Cup to 10 teams, you are excluding other countries from participating. Not to mention you are not helping cricket grow as a worldwide sport like football/soccer, hockey, tennis, rugby.</p><p id="c4e1">Some might argue cricket is flourishing and other teams are participating. Yes, but not to the point emerging nations like Ireland, Afghanistan, UAE and Canada can make a stake and compete at the same levels as the Big Three or other past contenders like Pakistan, West Indies, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, South Africa and Bangladesh.</p><p id="9cdf">What’s interesting about the 2007 World Cup is that both India and Pakistan were eliminated in the group stages. India was beaten by Bangladesh and Sri Lanka and Pakistan was beaten by host West Indies and Ireland. Pakistan had a more sadder exit due to the death of its Head Coach Bob Woolmer after the Irish defeat. A false report by the medical doctor claimed he was murdered and the Pakistani team were viewed as potential suspects. Pakistan’s captain Inzamam ul Haq retired from One-Day Internationals (ODIs) after that match.</p><div id="735c" class="link-block"> <a href="https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/bob-woolmer-investigation-round-up-286045"> <div> <div> <h2>Bob Woolmer investigation round-up</h2> <div><h3>A daily diary of developments in the Bob Woolmer murder investigation</h3></div> <div><p>www.espncricinfo.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*pRRXB6zfG-JkDDhO)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><div id="2038" class="link-block"> <a href="https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/39282939"> <div> <div> <h2>Remembering the death of Bob Woolmer</h2> <div><h3>How a cricket coach's death at the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean became the focus of a murder investigation.</h3></div> <div><p>www.bbc.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*2xkBhy1HkkLwNbKx)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="5f4d">Bangladesh went on to defeat South Africa in the Super Eight stages of the 2007 World Cup. Ireland and Bangladesh both defeated England in the 2011 Cricket World Cup. Ireland defeated West Indies in the 2015 Cricket World Cup while Bangladesh managed to progress to the Knockout Stages. More teams in World Cups give the low-ranked an opportunity to appear, shine and make a mark. With only 10 teams in the 2019 and 2023 World Cups, how do you expect cricket to become big?</p><p id="d3bb">Perhaps the part of me that hurts about India’s taking over of cricket is the nationalist Pakistani still inside of me. I have a dream that Pakistan will one day beat India in a World Cup match. The Women’s Team did it twice in T20 World Cups, the Men’s Team also did it in a T20 World Cup. With India hoarding the game of cricket, barely featuring and humiliating Pakistan in its promo video, not honoring the agreement it made with Pakistan to play bilateral cricket matches between the two countries, # Options it is high time that its arch-rival give a taste of its own medicine, whether Men’s or Women’s Team.</p><div id="a9ef" class="link-block"> <a href="https://www.sportsadda.com/cricket/features/india-women-vs-pakistan-women-cricket-records-odis-t20is-tests-stats"> <div> <div> <h2>India women vs Pakistan women cricket records, head-to-head and stats</h2> <div><h3>An India women vs Pakistan women match was first played in 2005. Know all the records, head-to-head numbers and stats…</h3></div> <div><p>www.sportsadda.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*kSJzKrVhKZQ4dNbe)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="f7bb">Cricket is one way bilateral relations between India and Pakistan could improve. The game has been used as a tool to defuse tensions and enhance relations. General Zia visited India and watched a cricket match in a stadium where India and Pakistan were playing. Indian politicians came to Karachi during the 2003 Indian tour of Pakistan. Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh attended the 2011 Cricket World Cup Semi-Final Match between India and Pakistan. Imran Khan made an appearance in the 2016 T20 World Cup match between the two countries.</p><p id="5dd3">The unfortunate reality is that politics has dominated cricket in both India and Pakistan. The Prime Minister of Pakistan is the patron of the Pakistan Cricket Board. Meaning he/she has the power to appoint the Chairman of PCB. While the BCCI is independent, there is no doubt it is influenced by politics. Its decisions on not playing bilateral series against Pakistan and allowing Pakistani players to play in the IPL are examples in my opinion.</p><p id="c122">The BCCI’s reasoning is that Pakistan sponsors terrorism. Pakistani players were banned from IPL after the Mumbai Attacks in 2008. Fair enough! Or fair enough? What about Balochistan when Kulbhushan Jadhav was captured who admitted on camera that India was involved in terror activities in Pakistan? What’s about Kashmir with Article 370 being taken away and Indian forces committing human rights violations in the Valley? What about Line of Control violations by Indian forces shelling Pakistani civilians?</p><p id="5d4b">All of this is hurting India-Pakistan relations and hurting cricket. The game cannot flourish if its main stakeholders are involved fighting each other or one trying to outdo the other. Cricket World Cups need to have more teams to make the game bigger. Cricket has flourished with the help of leagues like the Indian Premier League and the Pakistan Super League. However, we need cricket leagues equivalent to football leagues in individual countries and a Champions League in cricket where teams from Ireland, Afghanistan, Canada and UAE could play along with teams from India, Pakistan, England, Australia. This will help audiences grow.</p><p id="f063">The Big Three needs to help cricket flourish. India needs to help cricket flourish. It cannot if you have three nations, or one nation, taking control of the game and calling the shots. It cannot flourish if other cricket-playing nations are being suppressed, especially if one is an arch-rival. Rivalry matches boost revenue for the stadium, sponsors, broadcasters. I mean, Real Madrid and Barcelona play La Liga matches despite their own political differences.</p><p id="5955">Shashi Tharoor wrote in his book, <i>An Era of Darkness</i> that cricket was an Indian sport accidentally discovered by the British. It looks like India took this quote literally too far.</p></article></body>

India’s taking over of cricket has damaged the gentleman’s game

The trailer was released this week for the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. It was criticized by Pakistanis for briefly featuring Pakistan and if the Pakistan team was featured, it was in their losing moments or moments where India was triumphing. Meanwhile, the trailer featured mostly Team India and Indian players with a splash of England and Australia, while the rest were a grain of salt. Why? Big Three! And most importantly, India!

India has taken over cricket. It has the most stake in the ICC (the governing body of cricket), the biggest of the Big Three (India, Australia and England), and focuses its attention on the Indians for ad revenue and nationalist purposes. More India means more Indian matches, more ad revenue for its broadcasters, more money for its cricket board, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), more screentime for Indian players, more money for India, more traction for India. Basically, cricket is for India.

I had written a blog before about why cricket is not big as football/soccer. The answer lies with the Big Three and India, their attempts to keep the gentleman’s game for themselves and not promoting in other countries. This year’s 2023 ICC Men’s World Cup will be hosted by India and will have only 10 teams. Compare that to the 2022 Qatar World Cup which had 32 teams.

Why 10 teams you may ask? It’s because less teams mean all participants can play as one group. That means India can play with all participants. That means more revenue for Indian broadcasters, BCCI, more fan participation by Indians. India will be the nucleus. India is the nucleus of cricket.

Or tumor?

The 2007 Cricket World Cup had 16 teams that participated in the group stages. The 2011 and 2015 Men’s World Cup editions had 14 participants. The 2019 World Cup also had 10 participants. By restricting the World Cup to 10 teams, you are excluding other countries from participating. Not to mention you are not helping cricket grow as a worldwide sport like football/soccer, hockey, tennis, rugby.

Some might argue cricket is flourishing and other teams are participating. Yes, but not to the point emerging nations like Ireland, Afghanistan, UAE and Canada can make a stake and compete at the same levels as the Big Three or other past contenders like Pakistan, West Indies, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, South Africa and Bangladesh.

What’s interesting about the 2007 World Cup is that both India and Pakistan were eliminated in the group stages. India was beaten by Bangladesh and Sri Lanka and Pakistan was beaten by host West Indies and Ireland. Pakistan had a more sadder exit due to the death of its Head Coach Bob Woolmer after the Irish defeat. A false report by the medical doctor claimed he was murdered and the Pakistani team were viewed as potential suspects. Pakistan’s captain Inzamam ul Haq retired from One-Day Internationals (ODIs) after that match.

Bangladesh went on to defeat South Africa in the Super Eight stages of the 2007 World Cup. Ireland and Bangladesh both defeated England in the 2011 Cricket World Cup. Ireland defeated West Indies in the 2015 Cricket World Cup while Bangladesh managed to progress to the Knockout Stages. More teams in World Cups give the low-ranked an opportunity to appear, shine and make a mark. With only 10 teams in the 2019 and 2023 World Cups, how do you expect cricket to become big?

Perhaps the part of me that hurts about India’s taking over of cricket is the nationalist Pakistani still inside of me. I have a dream that Pakistan will one day beat India in a World Cup match. The Women’s Team did it twice in T20 World Cups, the Men’s Team also did it in a T20 World Cup. With India hoarding the game of cricket, barely featuring and humiliating Pakistan in its promo video, not honoring the agreement it made with Pakistan to play bilateral cricket matches between the two countries, it is high time that its arch-rival give a taste of its own medicine, whether Men’s or Women’s Team.

Cricket is one way bilateral relations between India and Pakistan could improve. The game has been used as a tool to defuse tensions and enhance relations. General Zia visited India and watched a cricket match in a stadium where India and Pakistan were playing. Indian politicians came to Karachi during the 2003 Indian tour of Pakistan. Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh attended the 2011 Cricket World Cup Semi-Final Match between India and Pakistan. Imran Khan made an appearance in the 2016 T20 World Cup match between the two countries.

The unfortunate reality is that politics has dominated cricket in both India and Pakistan. The Prime Minister of Pakistan is the patron of the Pakistan Cricket Board. Meaning he/she has the power to appoint the Chairman of PCB. While the BCCI is independent, there is no doubt it is influenced by politics. Its decisions on not playing bilateral series against Pakistan and allowing Pakistani players to play in the IPL are examples in my opinion.

The BCCI’s reasoning is that Pakistan sponsors terrorism. Pakistani players were banned from IPL after the Mumbai Attacks in 2008. Fair enough! Or fair enough? What about Balochistan when Kulbhushan Jadhav was captured who admitted on camera that India was involved in terror activities in Pakistan? What’s about Kashmir with Article 370 being taken away and Indian forces committing human rights violations in the Valley? What about Line of Control violations by Indian forces shelling Pakistani civilians?

All of this is hurting India-Pakistan relations and hurting cricket. The game cannot flourish if its main stakeholders are involved fighting each other or one trying to outdo the other. Cricket World Cups need to have more teams to make the game bigger. Cricket has flourished with the help of leagues like the Indian Premier League and the Pakistan Super League. However, we need cricket leagues equivalent to football leagues in individual countries and a Champions League in cricket where teams from Ireland, Afghanistan, Canada and UAE could play along with teams from India, Pakistan, England, Australia. This will help audiences grow.

The Big Three needs to help cricket flourish. India needs to help cricket flourish. It cannot if you have three nations, or one nation, taking control of the game and calling the shots. It cannot flourish if other cricket-playing nations are being suppressed, especially if one is an arch-rival. Rivalry matches boost revenue for the stadium, sponsors, broadcasters. I mean, Real Madrid and Barcelona play La Liga matches despite their own political differences.

Shashi Tharoor wrote in his book, An Era of Darkness that cricket was an Indian sport accidentally discovered by the British. It looks like India took this quote literally too far.

Cricket
India Vs Pakistan
Bcci
Big Three
Indian Cricket
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