‘s victory over at bore stark testimony to how the two fierce rivals turn everything — — into just another arena .
Cricket matches between the two national teams have always been viewed as epic confrontations, akin to a “war” where victory is crucial for national pride.
At the Dubai tournament, however, cricket faded into the background as politicians on both sides fanned the tensions over .
No trophy for Indians after 90-minute standoff
During a pre-tournament press conference, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav was photographed shaking hands with Pakistani politician Mohsin Naqvi and Pakistan’s captain Salman Ali Agha, prompting criticism from home.
Naqvi is the head of Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and the chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), but also serves as Pakistan’s interior minister.
After that, customary friendly gestures between Indian and Pakistani players were notably absent throughout the 19-day tournament, as the Indian team refused to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts in all three games they played, including the finals on Sunday.
Hostile celebrations, threats to boycott, and disruptive protests all added to the acrimonious atmosphere.
The biggest scandal of the Asia Cup, however, came after India won over Pakistan by 5 wickets at the final match in Dubai.
Indian players refused to accept the winning trophy and medals from Naqvi.
In turn, the Pakistani minister reportedly insisted that only he would do the presentation, with the two sides entering a standoff which delayed the post-match ceremony by 90 minutes.
Eventually, the ACC eventually removed the tokens of victory from the podium and the Indian team ended the night without the trophy in their hands.
Modi hails ‘Operation Sindoor’ on cricket field
Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister cheered the team victory by associating it with “Operation Sindoor,” this May following .
“#OperationSindoor on the games field. Outcome is the same — India wins,” Modi said in an online post.
Pakistan’s Naqvi soon fired back:
“If war was your measure of pride, history already records your humiliating defeats at Pakistan’s hands. No cricket match can rewrite that truth. Dragging war into sport only exposes desperation and disgraces the very spirit of the game,” Naqvi wrote on X.
No more ‘cricket diplomacy’?
In the past, India and Pakistan’s shared love of cricket was used to thaw tensions between the two nations.
Pakistani leader and general Zia-ul-Haq’s famously used “cricket diplomacy” during his visit to India’s Jaipur in 1987 amid heightened military tensions, with one of his successors, Pervez Musharraf also used a cricket game as an excuse to visit India in 2005.
“Cricket diplomacy was an important part of the India-Pakistan peace process and it is a great pity that cricket hostility is now being made part of the enmity process between the two countries,” Radha Kumar, Indian specialist on peace and security in South Asia told DW.
Karachi-based sports journalist Faizan Lakhani echoed the sentiment, saying it was “unprecedented and unfortunate to see sports being turned into a platform for political hate-mongering.”
“From 2004 to 2008, cricket gave new hope to the people of India and Pakistan. That is exactly why those whose politics thrive on war-mongering have targeted sports—because they fear that sports can destroy their narrative of hate,” asserted Lakhani.
Modi’s tweet as a turning point
The Indian team has refused to travel to Pakistan since 2008, in protest of a terrorist attack in Mumbai which Indian officials believe Pakistan abetted. Pakistani players are also barred from , which is considered the richest cricket league in the world.
Now, New Delhi also blames Islamabad for the in Indian-administered Kashmir, which killed 26 civilians and prompted outrage among ordinary Indians.
However, Islamabad denies any involvement in the attack.
In Pakistan, there is also a strong sense of anger and frustration, with critics and fans arguing that India is politicizing cricket by refusing to shake hands with Pakistani players.
Many have pointed out that India dedicated their victory to the victims of violence and the Indian armed forces, further fueling the sentiment that the sport has become entangled in political issues.
“In an ideal scenario, I would have condemned any unpleasant gesture by Pakistani players. But not this time, I have had enough. We cannot always allow one board to bully and disrespect us and the rest of the world. It was time to respond to the trolls and bullies in the language they understand. Of course, if our players had responded with their performance on the field, that would have been an even greater answer,” said Pakistani journalist Lakhani.
Najam Sethi, former head of Pakistan Cricket Board, says Pakistanis have responded to “every unacceptable political gesture by the Indians on the field.”
“But Modi’s tweet has officially sanctioned and embedded politics in sports, after this, the ICC and ACC will not be able to function effectively,” he told DW.
Rise of nationalism bleeding into sports
Former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin believes India and Pakistan should not play against each other unless bilateral relations improve.
“I see this selective engagement in tournaments but suspension of bilateral ties as inconsistent and believe all cricketing interactions should be paused until political problems are resolved,” he added.
Former cricketer and respected cricket administrator Venkat Sundaram also urged the governments of both India and Pakistan resolve their issues instead of letting them impact the sport.
“The complex interplay between cricket and nationalism has led to politics between both countries becoming more nationalistic and cricket much more politicized,” added Sundaram.
This sentiment is also echoed by Karachi journalist Lakhani.
“Sports should always remain separate from politics. The moment you drag politics into sports, you turn it into something dirty,” he told DW.
Edited by: Darko Janjevic
The post How India and Pakistan let war spill onto cricket field appeared first on Deutsche Welle.
