Tensions between India and Pakistan scorched the world of sports activities on Sunday when the Indian cricket workforce refused to just accept the Asia Cup trophy after beating their neighbours by 5 wickets within the closing in Dubai.
The match was the third contest between the rivals within the match, 4 months after they fought a brief however intense aerial warfare, triggered by a lethal April 22 attack on tourists in Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir.
Why did India refuse to take the trophy?
India refused to take the trophy as a result of it was introduced by Mohsin Naqvi, who’s the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president in addition to the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
Naqvi can also be Pakistan’s federal inside minister.
“We’ve determined to not take the Asia Cup trophy from the ACC chairman, who occurs to be one of many fundamental [political] leaders of Pakistan,” Devajit Saikia, the chairman of the Board of Management for Cricket in India (BCCI), informed India’s ANI information company.
“That doesn’t imply that the gentleman will take away the trophy with him together with the medals. So it is rather unlucky and we hope that the trophy and the medals might be returned to India as quickly as potential,” Saikia stated, referring to a weird sequence of occasions that performed out after the conclusion of the match.
What occurred throughout the India-Pakistan Asia Cup match?
Whereas the sport ended at about 10:30pm (18:30 GMT), the ultimate award presentation was delayed till about midnight (20:00 GMT). Naqvi could possibly be seen in tv footage, talking with match officers.
Earlier than the presentation started and after the stage was arrange, an official eliminated the Asia Cup champions trophy from the raised dais, with out clarification.
Indian gamers Kuldeep Yadav, Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma acquired their particular person awards from different dignitaries on stage throughout the presentation. Naqvi was on stage when this occurred, however the Indian gamers didn’t acknowledge the ACC chief and Pakistani minister, who additionally didn’t clap for them.
Pakistani captain Salman Agha then collected the runners-up cheque from Naqvi.
“I’ve been knowledgeable by the Asian Cricket Council that the Indian cricket workforce won’t be gathering their awards tonight,” stated Simon Doull, former cricketer from New Zealand, who performed the post-match presentation.
Doull then introduced the conclusion of the post-match presentation ceremony.
The Indian workforce then celebrated, pretending to carry a trophy.
Whereas officers haven’t confirmed the current location of the trophy, it’s often stored with the match organisers till it’s handed over to the winners – and till late on Sunday, the Indian workforce had not acquired it.
“I believe that is one factor which I’ve by no means seen since I began taking part in cricket, began following cricket, {that a} champion workforce is denied a trophy, that too a hard-earned one,” Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav stated throughout a information convention after the presentation. “I really feel we deserved it. I can’t say something extra, I’ve summed it up rather well.”
Yadav added it was the workforce’s resolution to refuse the trophy and “nobody informed us to do it.”
What’s the context?
India-Pakistan relations have been in hassle for years. However they plummeted additional after gunmen killed 26 males throughout an assault on Pahalgam, a tourism website in Indian-administered Kashmir, on April 22.
The Resistance Front (TRF), an armed group which calls for Kashmir’s independence, claimed duty for the assault. India alleges that the TRF is a department of Pakistan-based armed group, the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), an allegation Islamabad denies.
Following the assault, the 2 international locations scaled again diplomatic relations and India suspended its participation within the Indus Waters Treaty.
On Could 7, India launched multiple missile attacks on websites in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir underneath what it known as Operation Sindoor. India stated it struck 9 websites in Pakistan, which stated dozens of civilians have been killed.
On Could 10, Pakistan launched Operation Bunyan Marsoos, focusing on at the least six Indian navy websites and killing at the least 5 Indians, based on Indian authorities.
On the identical day, the 2 sides reached a ceasefire agreement which was introduced by US President Donald Trump.
Have cricketing tensions been build up, too?
Sure, Sunday’s eruption of hostilities after the match was the fruits of weeks of pressure that had clouded the Asia Cup.
In India, many politicians and influential public figures – together with some who’re supportive of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu majoritarian Bharatiya Janata Social gathering authorities – had known as on their nation’s workforce to boycott the matches with Pakistan.
Professional-Modi tv channels criticised the BCCI – which lately has been carefully aligned in its insurance policies with the Indian authorities – for taking part within the Asia Cup alongside Pakistan. The BCCI stated it was following the federal government’s directions, underneath which India refuses to play bilateral tournaments with Pakistan however participates in multi-nation contests – together with in video games in opposition to Pakistan in these occasions.
Finally, India didn’t simply play within the Asia Cup, however confronted off in opposition to Pakistan in three matches.
Whereas India received all three video games – together with the ultimate – its gamers refused to shake fingers with the Pakistani workforce, a transfer that was criticised by Pakistan.
After the primary match on September 14, Indian captain Yadav introduced up the battle throughout his speech, dedicating the win to the Indian military. “We stand by the victims of the households of Pahalgam terror assault. We specific our solidarity. Wish to dedicate the win to all our armed forces who confirmed a number of bravery,” Yadav stated throughout the post-match presentation.
In the meantime, Pakistani pacer Haris Rauf responded to heckling by Indian spectators throughout matches by signaling 6-0 along with his fingers and gesturing the downing of an plane, a reference to Pakistan’s declare that six Indian aircraft have been downed by Pakistan throughout their Could clashes. India has acknowledged that Pakistan shot down an unspecified variety of Indian jets.
After the second sport between Pakistan and India on September 21, Pakistani opener Sahibzada Farhan reached 50 runs. In celebration, he cradled his bat like a machinegun and pretended to fireplace, a gesture that was upsetting to many Indian followers. Within the Pahalgam assault, gunmen requested vacationers in the event that they have been Muslim, after which shot non-Muslims.
On Sunday, Farhan reached 50 runs once more, however this time, celebrated his milestone silently.
India has additionally questioned Naqvi’s behaviour throughout the match. Although he’s anticipated to be impartial as ACC chief, he’s additionally PCB boss. When the Indian workforce refused to shake fingers after the primary match, he posted on X: “Totally disappointing to witness the shortage of sportsmanship immediately. Dragging politics into the sport goes in opposition to the very spirit of sports activities. Lets hope future victories are celebrated by all groups with grace.”
In one other put up on September 15, Naqvi wrote: “There may be nothing extra necessary to me than the respect and status of my nation,” including the Pakistani flag emoji on the finish.
What have Indian, Pakistani leaders stated in regards to the Asia Cup tensions?
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote in an X put up on Sunday after the sport: “#OperationSindoor on the video games subject. Consequence is identical – India wins! Congrats to our cricketers.”
Quoting Modi’s put up, Naqvi replied: “If warfare was your measure of satisfaction, historical past already data your humiliating defeats at Pakistan’s fingers. No cricket match can rewrite that reality. Dragging warfare into sport solely exposes desperation and disgraces the very spirit of the sport.”
It wasn’t all the time this fashion.
Hasn’t cricket been a bridge between India and Pakistan?
Certainly, regardless of tensions, leaders from Pakistan and India have in a long time previous additionally used cricket as a diplomatic instrument to ease tensions, construct a public surroundings beneficial for talks, and create a setting for political interplay.
The thought of “cricket diplomacy” was popularised by Pakistan’s President Mohammad Zia-ul-Haq, who ruled the nation from 1978 to 1988.
In February 1987, Zia-ul-Haq visited India to observe a take a look at match whereas tensions over Kashmir have been at a excessive after India had amassed troops alongside their disputed border.
Twelve years later, in early 1999, India hosted the Pakistan cricket workforce for his or her first bilateral take a look at collection in a decade – simply eight months after the neighbours had each examined nuclear weapons, resulting in hovering tensions. After Pakistan received a tense, carefully fought match in Chennai in January, its gamers took a lap across the stadium to a standing ovation from Indian followers, underscoring how cricketers too understood their public diplomacy position.
Between 2003 and 2008, cricket diplomacy reached its peak, with India and Pakistan every internet hosting the opposite for 2 take a look at collection. In April 2005, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf went to India to attend talks with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The 2 leaders attended a cricket match between their groups.
In March 2011, Singh invited Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to observe the World Cup semifinal between India and Pakistan with him. Gilani accepted the invite and visited India.
Was India’s refusal shocking?
In some ways, the occasions of Sunday have been predictable, say consultants. The organisers had introduced that Naqvi, as ACC chief, can be handing over the winner’s trophy.
India’s response too wasn’t shocking, analysts say.
“It’s usually stated that worldwide politics and sports activities ought to stay separate, however in actuality, that is simpler stated than achieved,” stated Mathew John Moolakkattu, a researcher whose doctoral work at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham College in Coimbatore, India, explored cricket diplomacy.
“Given the continuing tensions between India and Pakistan, it was maybe inevitable that these strains would floor in arenas that join each nations, similar to cricket.”
Moolakkattu identified how Indian workforce captain Yadav had additionally introduced that he would donate his whole match charges to the Indian Military.
“The Indian workforce made it clear that whereas they have been proud to just accept the trophy, they might not achieve this from Naqvi because of the underlying tensions and unresolved points between the 2 international locations,” he stated.
India’s stance displays a broader intent to distance itself from Pakistan on all fronts, be it commerce, politics, borders, or sports activities. Till the Indian authorities believes that Pakistan has taken definitive steps to finish its alleged assist for international “terrorism”, such diplomatic and symbolic gestures will possible persist, stated Moolakkattu. Pakistan rejects India’s allegations of assist for cross-border “terrorism”.
Nonetheless, Moolakkattu stated, the way in which the Asia Cup ended “undermines any optimistic diplomatic outcomes which may have emerged from the match”.
