3 min read
That Pakistan has been peddling lies about its preparations for the Champions Trophy cricket tournament stands exposed. With just over a fortnight to go, stadia in Pakistan are incomplete. A cricket arena is more than just the 22 yards in the middle. It encompasses a whole venue, infrastructure, safety for stands, security plus much more. India chose, in all its wisdom, not to go to Pakistan, a rogue state which has been perpetuating terror for decades, notably since 1993. So, India refusing to travel across the border for cricket is a well-planned Government decision.
Back to Pakistan, it has incurred several cost over-runs as well and wants the International Cricket Council (ICC) to bail them out. How sad can it be? This is a State/Nation which has been living on doles perpetually. For all the chest-thumping and talking emphatically about jingoism, the true state of Pakistan is it is a pauper. They should never have been allowed to host a high profile like the Champions Trophy. Surely, the ICC, now headed by energetic Jay Shah has been kind to Pakistan. The Junior Shah is now not representing India but the world. It is well-known, the CEO of the ICC Geoff Allardice was asked to leave last week for a combination of reasons. Pakistan failing to meet the deadline on stadia construction is also one big factor. There is no way this should be tolerated.
Within Pakistan, cricket fans are passionate, intense. It is a motley mix at the same time. They will shower love on Virat Kohli and post thousands of Gigabytes of him in videos and photos. Yet, at the same time, they will troll India without sense. It is understandable, since Pakistan is not a high literacy nation like India. Back to cricket, for them to host world class tournaments, this edition of the Champions Trophy could well be their last. In Mohsin Naqvi, they have a chief of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) who talks more like the typical politician. That he is, since he is also the Interior Minister of Pakistan explains the arrogance.
Overall, it is a mess in Pakistan for cricket. When they lose a Test match to the West Indies at home in Multan, as witnessed recently, it is a dubious first. Nobody cares about it, since that is an internal thing. Where the world is concerned is about how they are unfit to host any mega sporting event. And the Champions Trophy thing, where they have been given an extension, is bizarre. In the normal course, any venue(s) hosting a big-ticket sporting event must be ready in time and also be tested. It is a rule for all sporting events, cricket included. Anyway, the good part, India will not travel to Pakistan. It will never happen, as Pakistan has done nothing to create the right environment.
To be sure, there has been more agony for Pakistan vis a vis the Champions Trophy. There is no photo shoot in Pakistan where all the captains will stand and pose for photos nor will there be any kind of function ceremony to even celebrate them hosting a big cricket event in the ODI format. In a way, Pakistan can live in a bubble, abuse India and say anything. It is like barking non-stop, without any reason.
Back to the Champions Trophy proper, they should be grateful the United Arab Emirates will bail them out as Dubai will host matches pertaining to India. Dubai has been a gracious host in the past. And now that it has become crystal clear Pakistan cannot host India, all eyes will be on Dubai. The worst nightmare, of course, will be for the broadcasters, who need to station TV crews in Dubai as well as venues in Pakistan. Each day will unravel more mysteries of sorts. If Pakistan is unprepared, do not be surprised if a few more nations also get jittery about travel to Pakistan. Who would want to play in arenas which are damn dust bowls!