Pakistan cricket has suffered yet again as England withdrew from the tour of Pakistan days after the New Zealand cricket team pulled out of the series at the last moment.
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There is a clear divide that is emerging from the fall-out of New Zealand’s abandoned tour of Pakistan at the last minute. That divide has widened with England also announcing that their tour to Pakistan was also canceled. The main factor for the cancellation when it came to New Zealand was a ‘security threat’. But, what can you say about England? It is like they just decided to follow New Zealand’s lead and withdraw for the heck of it.
One cannot expect a ‘security threat’ to be shared with the media or with the public. So, New Zealand’s stance is shaky but slightly credible. There can be no justification, though, for England to withdraw. In any which way possible, it is not even remotely possible to sympathize with England.
When the coronavirus pandemic struck the cricketing world, at that time, many nations were grappling with how to play cricket. England’s cricket calendar was on the brink of collapse. Two nations saved it by playing six Tests which ensured a normal calendar amidst a new normal. West Indies and Pakistan played three Tests apiece and cricket in England could recover in a significant way. Let us remember though, that the situation was dire, yet Pakistan stepped up.
When the 9/11 attacks and the terror on the Sri Lankan team took place, it was nations like Australia and England that refused to tour the country. It is a stance they still maintain. Sri Lanka has returned, along with nations like West Indies, Zimbabwe, and an ICC World XI.
For their part, Pakistan is trolled by the elite nation fans that they only play against the smaller teams. What the ‘elite nation’ fans do not realize is that from their point of view of privilege, their boards have enough money to play amongst each other.
The BCCI, Cricket Australia, and England Cricket Board had formed the Big Three which ended in 2017. Is that true? On the surface, it seems to be false. If one has a look at the number of series that they have played against each other, that does not seem to be the case. Since 2017, India has toured Australia and England twice. They have played a series against each other every year since 2017, either at home or away.
When one has to look at Zimbabwe touring India, they have not done so since 2002. They played the ICC World Cup in 2011 but have not toured the country apart from that. Very few eyebrows were raised when India canceled the series against Zimbabwe due to some logistical issues.
As it comes to Pakistan, the added political tensions make their series a strict ‘No Entry’ area. None of the Pakistan players can get into the IPL all because of the tensions that arose in the wake of the 2008 Mumbai Terror attacks. For South Africa, it has been a mixed situation when it comes to touring India. Bangladesh is getting prominence while India always holds out a special window for Sri Lanka. As for New Zealand, they have played a three-Test series against India only once in the last 21 years and that was in 2009.
The real money power is with the BCCI. Any series with them and their participation in the IPL ensures that the boards of countries like Australia, England, West Indies, and South Africa all have the money to sustain themselves. But, what about Pakistan? They neither have the benefit of the big three nor the advantage of IPL.
The situation is almost like a throwback to the situation that existed in the country in the aftermath of September 11, 2001. The situation in Afghanistan spilled over into Pakistan, putting the nation in turmoil for years. With the Taliban back, the situation is expected to become volatile. They cannot afford to play in the UAE as it has not been friendly to their costs.
At the same time, by playing against smaller nations like Zimbabwe and others, they are not getting substantial broadcast revenue. With the IPL and BCCI having the big money and with broadcasters shelling out money that is equivalent to the GDP of some countries, this is the period when India is squashing Pakistan with its money might in cricket.
When England pulled out, they threw out all the help that Pakistan afforded them during and after the coronavirus pandemic. With Australia also not heeding to Pakistan’s advice and with India in no mood to even consider, Pakistan is once again caught in a vicious cycle. The divide in world cricket is becoming bigger. No one is wanting to stop the widening, neither the ICC nor the cricket boards of the ‘Big Three.’
India is creating a system due to broadcaster pressure that they have to play against the elite nations. Since they hold the marketing and commercial reigns of the sport, they get a major pie of the decision-making. Thus, it is expected that India will play against elite nations a lot more times and give lesser preference to other teams. Against whom does India play only four or five Tests? Their other partners in the Big Three. Will they dare play a series of five matches against South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, or even Pakistan? The thought boggles the mind. Not viable from a broadcaster point of view, that is the point, you see.
India, commercially, has created the gap. But, the recent actions of Australia and England put out their hypocrisy in broad daylight. England abandoned a tour of South Africa after a lot of ‘false positive’ coronavirus cases. The most blatant was Australia.
They abandoned a tour of South Africa citing coronavirus. However, when the second wave of COVID-19 was devastating India, Cricket Australia did not raise the bogey of the pandemic. Instead, they sent the players to India to participate. If this is not a case of serious money talking, one wonders what is.
The coronavirus pandemic has already muddled players due to the strict bio-bubble protocols in various countries. In addition to security threats, that is probably the last straw. New Zealand can still be pardoned but the way how it was done looked ugly. For England, their double standards now stand exposed.
