I am so lucky to know Pakistanis in my travels and stay outside India. Of course, my sample size is Just mine. Some of the best people with the ability to laugh at themselves and God their humor! i was also one of those who would make list of a combined cricket team. Sigh.
It feels awful to see the neighbor like this but there are way too many reasons for them to stay as it is than to get a change. Still, I wish them well. Always. Fabulous post, per usual, hero.
I know you are egging me on. We cannot even say that we have/had cokestudio. They have music also. We shouldn't be allowed anyway near CokeStudio if it is mentioned in a sentence. Kitna sunder likhte ho yaar..itne time baad I saw a post and felt so lucky to have known you in this nice substack-y way. Thank you for what you are doing.
Absolutely loved this, Sarthak!! You are truly a master story teller making an article about the most gentlemenly of games sound like a nail biting suspense novel!!
We were 'traditional rivals' because there was tradition of storytelling that was passed on from generation to generation - we grew up hearing about Imran's aura, Qadir's wizardry and Miandad's cunning.
With no bilateral cricket for twenty years, an entire generation of fans don't have much to pass on to the younger ones.
If we don't play regularly, grudges don't carry on from series to series and no chance for any player to give it back to their opponent the next time they meet. Right now, the 'rivalry' is only an ad campaign. And fodder for the trolls to unleash hatred online.
These days, India-Pakistan encounters feel like when we used to meet our rich and pampered NRI cousins when they would come visiting once in 5 years. We could try but we could never be as cool as them. Our parents would insist that we let them get away with anything. And by the time we would meet again, we would have forgotten all about our past history.
I feel this discontinuity is a massive loss for the fans and we will never be able to renew this rivalry.
Fully. That edge is a bit lost. I do think they overdid it post 2004 by organising a series every 6-8 months, but an Ashes-type biennial schedule would've been ideal. And it doesn't help that the BCCI pretends like they don't need the rest of cricket, especially Pakistan, to further their cause.
Cricket in neutral venues was an idea that could have been pursued. The Indian establishment has its reasons for sure but these games will never be the same again. All we have is nostalgia now. Hence better books are better documentaries are much necessary to preserve this history .
Thank you, Karthik! :) And yes, a proper documentary that does justice to the cricket and the fans, instead of talking to hype-uncles like Sehwag and Shoaib.
I am so lucky to know Pakistanis in my travels and stay outside India. Of course, my sample size is Just mine. Some of the best people with the ability to laugh at themselves and God their humor! i was also one of those who would make list of a combined cricket team. Sigh.
It feels awful to see the neighbor like this but there are way too many reasons for them to stay as it is than to get a change. Still, I wish them well. Always. Fabulous post, per usual, hero.
Thank you!
And 100%, they are naturally hilarious. Very lucky to have a couple of friends from the other side of the Coke Studio fence.
I know you are egging me on. We cannot even say that we have/had cokestudio. They have music also. We shouldn't be allowed anyway near CokeStudio if it is mentioned in a sentence. Kitna sunder likhte ho yaar..itne time baad I saw a post and felt so lucky to have known you in this nice substack-y way. Thank you for what you are doing.
Absolutely loved this, Sarthak!! You are truly a master story teller making an article about the most gentlemenly of games sound like a nail biting suspense novel!!
Thank you, Reshma! Always the kindest, you.
😇😇😇
Your essays are likely my last remaining link to cricket. Even the Netflix series didn't show up on my feed!
Lovely writing, Sarthak, as per usual.
Thank you so much, Rohan! And you didn't miss out. The documentary is trash xD Basically Sehwag and Shoaib trading overblown stories.
We were 'traditional rivals' because there was tradition of storytelling that was passed on from generation to generation - we grew up hearing about Imran's aura, Qadir's wizardry and Miandad's cunning.
With no bilateral cricket for twenty years, an entire generation of fans don't have much to pass on to the younger ones.
If we don't play regularly, grudges don't carry on from series to series and no chance for any player to give it back to their opponent the next time they meet. Right now, the 'rivalry' is only an ad campaign. And fodder for the trolls to unleash hatred online.
These days, India-Pakistan encounters feel like when we used to meet our rich and pampered NRI cousins when they would come visiting once in 5 years. We could try but we could never be as cool as them. Our parents would insist that we let them get away with anything. And by the time we would meet again, we would have forgotten all about our past history.
I feel this discontinuity is a massive loss for the fans and we will never be able to renew this rivalry.
Fully. That edge is a bit lost. I do think they overdid it post 2004 by organising a series every 6-8 months, but an Ashes-type biennial schedule would've been ideal. And it doesn't help that the BCCI pretends like they don't need the rest of cricket, especially Pakistan, to further their cause.
Cricket in neutral venues was an idea that could have been pursued. The Indian establishment has its reasons for sure but these games will never be the same again. All we have is nostalgia now. Hence better books are better documentaries are much necessary to preserve this history .
Thank you, Karthik! :) And yes, a proper documentary that does justice to the cricket and the fans, instead of talking to hype-uncles like Sehwag and Shoaib.
Excellent post, Sarthak! We deserve a better documentary to preserve this history :)
I don’t know why but I want to travel to Pakistan and watch a match in the stadium there.