Asia Cup: Buzz may be missing, but it’s a India-Pakistan game after all

A India-Pakistan match in the UAE has, over the years, never failed to offer a festive feel around  it – packed stadia, electric atmosphere without much of a rancour among the expat fans. However, it seems something has snapped this time ahead of their first meeting in a key group league match of Asia Cup at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.

The call of a boycott from a large segment of Indian fans still dominate the psyche, reflecting in the slow response for tickets for the marquee game at a venue with a capacity of barely 25,000.

The decks are cleared for the game what with the Supreme Court in India dismissing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) to call it off, though dissenting voices are still aplenty with a poignant appeal from one of the widows of the Pahalgam massacre questioning whether the BCCI should have allowed the match to go ahead.

 The feedback from Dubai is that the usual turnout of a gaggle of fans at the ICC Academy grounds whenever India have practised there was missing on Friday as the sentiment against the match going ahead rages unabated.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Vimal Kumar, a popular independent journalist who follows the Indian team across cricketing nations said on his latest post: ‘’I have never seen such strong sentiments against this match, even after Kargil War in 2003. I had put up a live poll on my channel, where about 64% fans said they will not watch the game.’’

Barely six months back, the venue saw a ODI contest between the arch rivals in ICC Champions Trophy where tickets released online were gone in four minutes flat. In the T20 World Cup group game in New York last year, the last occasion when they met in this format, the response among the diaspora was electric but it all looks a distant past.

Much as the logic is being drilled home repeatedly that the current policy mandates India to play Pakistan in all multi-nation sporting events but not bilaterals, the voices in social media are not impressed.

 There are many among Indian fans who even accuse the former icons of adopting ‘double standards’ when it comes to this particular game. Virender Sehwag, the dashing opener who has a triple century against Pakistan in Test cricket, has been trolled brutally for taking part in a TV promo of the big game – which provides a lifeline to this tournament. Take away this game from Asia Cup and no broadcasters will be interested to pledge a fortune for it, the argument which also drove India’s participation after doubts prevailed in the wake of Operation Sindoor.

Trying to offer a sane voice, Wasim Akram, the Sultan of Swing said in an interview to The Telegraph: ‘’Intensity will always be there when India, Pakistan play. It’s fun for the players. It’s fun for the fans. But my request is at the end of the day, fans should remember it’s just a game. That’s it. Somebody has to win. Somebody has to lose.’’

 Cricket perhaps comes last in the pecking order in the build-up of this game – and there is no denying the fact that Men in Blue has an upperhand as they had been unstoppable in this format ever winning the T20 World Cup. The green shirts, which went down to India by only six runs in their last T20I clash in the US, wears a new look as they don’t have either Babar Azam or Mohammed Rizwan.

However, never discount unpredictable Pakistan in a white ball format – more so on the UAE soil! The match will be live from Dubai International Stadium 8 pm onwards.