An Open Letter to ICC – International Cricket Council
Dear Sir,
I write this open letter as a humble request from a Common Kashmiri. Sir, I want to bring to your kind notice about the growing indiscrimination regarding the cricket match between the two neighbouring countries India and Pakistan. It seems that instead of playing the game, the two countries are fighting each other. Any cricket match between the two nations has resulted in ever growing indiscernible ties.
The consequences of the match between two countries has resulted in increasing the void between the people. So instead of creating a bond among the people of two respective countries, it has been launched as a big propaganda on the social media as well as on the ground.
Cricket is a noble game and it has brought closer the different nations irrespective of the religion and culture. But unfortunately the irony is that the same game when played between India and Pakistan results in increasing hatred, violence, void, apprehension and insecurity among the people in general and Kashmiris in particular.
Now the question rises that do Indians and Pakistanis enjoy cricket match against each other? I am convinced that we don’t like the experience any longer. Four decades ago it was enjoyable to watch these teams but not in the last 15 years or so. The levels of hatred and dislikes are high because of the events that are kept at a boiling point because of the media.
The first problem is that much of the cricket played by the two sub-continental teams is watched and appreciated from an ultra-nationalist perspective. When rival teams score boundaries or take wickets, the supporters of other team in the stadium go silent. There’s hardly anyone who appreciates a good game by the opponent team.
If we believe that things got worse in Kashmir it is not because of the facts on the ground, but because of politics and media. The media in order to grab eyeballs and increase TRP’s, goes to unimaginable extremes and adds fuel to the fire.
Over the years, Kashmiri’s, mostly youth had to pay a price for exhibiting love and support for Pakistan cricket team. The most telling example of kashmiri suffering for cheering green shirts was witnessed in 2014 when Uttar Pradesh college authorities expelled 67 Kashmiri students after they celebrated Pakistani’s win over India in an Asia cup tie.
Now the question arises that is there really an intention of creating friendly relationship between these two rival Nations through a cricket match or is it just to make it worse. If there is really an intention of friendship then the policies should be changed, if not then these two teams should be banned to play against each other because Kashmiri is becoming the victim of their hatred. It would be great for the ICC to make a statement on this day issue.
With thanks
Muddasir Hassan
Social Entrepeuner
muddasir.humanity@gmail.com