Symbolic stakes raised as rivals meet (3 June 1999)
In south Asia, the significance of the departure of the host country from the World Cup is that it clears the way for a renewal of India-Pakistan rivalry, at Old Trafford on June 8
03-Jun-1999
3 June 1999
Symbolic stakes raised as rivals meet
Mike Marqusee
In south Asia, the significance of the departure of the host country
from the World Cup is that it clears the way for a renewal of
India-Pakistan rivalry, at Old Trafford on June 8.
The cricket contest between the subcontinental neighbours must be the
fiercest derby in world sport. Never mind Rangers v Celtic or
Yorkshire v Lancashire, this is an encounter that brings into play
politics, religion and the foundations of national identity across a
huge swathe of humanity. And since last year, the sporting
confrontation has been overshadowed by a nuclear one.
The India-Pakistan rivalry has been cricket's top-selling roadshow
for the last decade. Having entertained crowds in Sharjah, Singapore
and Toronto, there's no reason for it not to go down a storm in
Manchester.
Certainly, it promises to attract the biggest television audience of
the tournament so far, which will delight sponsors like Hero Honda
and LG Electronics, who sell next to nothing in the host country but
- thanks to the telecast - will enjoy huge exposure in their target
south Asian markets.
However, there is no escaping the fact that the escalation of the
conflict in Kashmir alters the framework in which this sporting rite
is celebrated.
Whether the players like it or not, the symbolic stakes have been
raised, and along with them the emotions that will attend the
fluctuating fortunes of the match. Given the grim exchange of fire in
the Himalayas, the green turf of Old Trafford may take on the dark
cast of a proxy battlefield.
When India and Pakistan went to war in 1965, a Rest of the World side
were playing against England at Scarborough. Among the Rest of the
World XI were the then captains of India and Pakistan - the Nawab of
Pataudi and Hanif Mohammed - who issued a joint appeal to their two
governments: "We wish to express deep regrets at the war between
India and Pakistan. We find unity on the cricket field by reaching
for a common objective. We fervently hope both countries can meet and
find an amicable solution."
Only the most myopically romantic of the game's devotees would claim
that cricket can resolve international or even domestic conflicts.
But it remains reasonable, and necessary, to insist that it not be
used to add fuel to the fire.
In the current international climate, no one can welcome the prospect
of the cry of "Pakistan, hai hai!" ("down with Pakistan") ringing
round English cricket grounds, matched to the decibel by the other
side and beamed by satellite back to south Asia. As our globalised
information economy reverberates with competitive jingoism, cricket
will not be the only loser.
Would it be too much to hope that the stars of the India and Pakistan
sides could find a way to issue an appeal for peace - not to their
respective governments but to their legions of fans? The last thing
Asian communities in Britain need is the importation of the most
aggressive elements of the India-Pakistan rivalry.
Asian communities in Britain are a complex and evolving mixture.
Within these communities, there are many who view with unease the way
the cricket rivalry between India and Pakistan seems to compel young
people to choose one of these identities over the other. We have
weathered the Tebbit test, they argue, why should we saddle ourselves
with a south Asian version of it?
Cricket is a form of escapism, and there is no need to apologise for
that. But sometimes the surrounding realities permit no escape, and
cricket finds itself encumbered with unwelcome significance. In
Manchester, the best that can be hoped for is that cricket lovers and
cricketers show themselves superior to political leaders.
And since it is not impossible for India to face Pakistan again in
the semi-finals, or even the final, a display of friendship between
rival supporters would set a healthy precedent for the remainder of
the tournament.
Source :: The Electronic Telegraph