A knock-out punch for the Trophy Champions

Raju Korti
Pakistan's desperation at India not keen to play the Champions Trophy there is of its own making. While there is no official word that India team will not travel to Pakistan, it is a foregone conclusion. It is not even a sensitive and controversial topic anymore.

Pakistan finds itself in a bind not just because of the strained political relations and security concerns India voices during every cricketing event that the former wants to host. Its angst is India's refusal to play in Pakistan will could provoke Sri Lanka and Bangladesh to follow suit on similar concerns. Perhaps the biggest slap on its face is even a country once an ally and now in constant ferment like Afghanistan is poking ridicule at its ability to provide security to visiting players.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), forever mired in administrative hassles with self-styled upstarts coming and going out of its ruling dispensation, cannot do anything to turn things around. To make matters worse, for the PCB will continue to stare at its scarcely ringing cash registers, and even the International Cricket Council (ICC), can do precious little to thwart BCCI's money clout. Revenues will take a severe hit and the entire purpose of hosting the trophy will stand defeated from their point of view.

The Pakistan Cricket Board just does not seem to shed this mindset of mixing sport with politics and that a tit-for-tat policy will not work at all. If India has also been seen to be mixing sport with politics, it is of reaction and not action. What the Pakistan Cricket Board must do, if it works at all, is to lobby and convince other cricketing boards to be on their side and hope India does not ride rough shod with the ICC just watching the tamasha. To rub salt on its wound, the present BCCI chief Jay Shah might take over the ICC reins. It cooks Pakistan's goose completely.

Pakistan, one senses, is itching to beat India in Pakistan and bask in a limelight that has deprived it for long. In venues elsewhere across the world, it has had the mortification of losing all the matches, and in their misplaced pride, a victory on its own soil could salvage some of that pride. To its horror, even that looks impossible given their team's overhyped prowess belied by lacklustre performances. The reasons are far too many and well known to deserve mention. 

Pakistan faces security challenges mostly from home-grown terrorism and instability which they habitually blame it on non-state actors. The non-state actors merge seamlessly into state's own at their convenience. While sporting events, like cricket, tend to become political symbols or tools in diplomatic maneuevring. There is no cricket between India and Pakistan. It is just a war fought on another turf with a façade of apparent bonhomie.

For a country perennially in throes of political and economic turmoil, Pakistan seems oblivious to the logistical challenges like travel accommodation and security arrangements. These become significantly grave that at times, threats have emanated from time to time about killing Indian cricketers. The PCB has itself been embroiled in one bitter controversy over the other. It must first set its own house in order before it equips to handle the bigger problem it seeks to address.

Voices from across the border have been their usual bluster and bravado. The championship will go on even if Indian team doesn't go to Pakistan. But who will watch and from where will the revenue come? Moves are already afoot that the BCCI is requesting the ICC to move its India matches to Sri Lanka or Dubai. India has not played a bilateral series with Pakistan since 2008 and by no stretch it looks possible now with the rise in recent terror activities in Kashmir. Although the BCCI, itself an autonomous body, has put the ball in Central Government's court, there is no way the latter will take the risk. On its part, the ICC stands to incur huge loss in terms of broadcast media rights and brand revenue. 

If South Africa could be kept out of international cricket for an internal matter like apartheid, then it should be clear as day. Terrorism is a global issue and Pakistan needs to be made a spectator until this rot stops. Moreover, Pakistan has only recently received an International Monetary Fund bailout and its ability as hosts suspect. All the talk about Indian cricketers being loved and will be warmly welcomed is a baloney that deceives none including Pakistan itself.

Where is the question of burying the hatchet when the hatchet is doing all the talking?