The escalating conflict between India and Pakistan has forced both countries to suspend or move their cash-rich cricket leagues.
The Indian Premier League, one of the world’s richest sports competitions with ten franchises valued at about $1 billion each, said it had suspended the matches of its ongoing season for a week. The league’s 5-year broadcast deal alone is worth over $6 billion.
On Thursday night, one of its matches in the Himalayan town of Dharamsala had to be abandoned, and the stadium of about 20,000 people vacated, as heavy shelling continued further along the border with Pakistan.
The Pakistan Super League, much smaller than the Indian Premier League but with great significance in Pakistan, said it was moving the remaining eight games of its season to the United Arab Emirates because of safety concerns. One of the league’s matches on Thursday had to be postponed in Rawalpindi after the Pakistani authorities accused India of targeting the city’s cricket stadium.
In the past, cricket has helped bring the two countries closer. India and Pakistan, along with Sri Lanka, jointly hosted the cricket World Cup in 1996. But separating the political tensions from cricket has became almost impossible after 2008, when Pakistani militants crossed into India and attacked Mumbai, killing more than 160 people. Pakistani players have been banned from playing in the lucrative Indian league that recruits the world’s best talent for exuberant salaries. The two nations have also stopped playing each other, with the exception of global events like the World Cup.
Pragati K.B. is a reporter for The Times based in New Delhi, covering news from across India.
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