The pristine green of the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo witnessed another shameful chapter in cricket history on Sunday when Indian women's team captain Harmanpreet Kaur deliberately snubbed her Pakistani counterpart Fatima Sana, refusing even the most basic courtesy of a pre-match handshake during their Women's World Cup encounter. This calculated act of disrespect represents not merely poor sportsmanship but a disturbing extension of India's systematic campaign to weaponize cricket for political theater.
What unfolded in Colombo was no spontaneous gesture but a premeditated policy directive. The Board of Control for Cricket in India had already instructed the women's team to mirror the disgraceful behavior exhibited by the men's team during the recent Asia Cup, where captain Suryakumar Yadav and his players repeatedly refused handshakes with Pakistani counterparts. This institutional endorsement of unsporting conduct exposes how India has abandoned cricket's fundamental values in pursuit of narrow political objectives.
The justification offered by Indian officials reveals the depth of this politicization. BCCI sources openly admit the move has "approval of the Indian government" and applies to "all national teams". When a cricket board subordinates sporting ethics to governmental diktat, it ceases to be a sporting institution and becomes an instrument of state propaganda. India's captain Suryakumar Yadav made this explicit when he dedicated victories "to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack" and declared that "few things in life are ahead of sportsmen's spirit". This transforms cricket matches into political statements rather than athletic competitions.
The ripple effects of India's actions extend far beyond individual matches. Former England captain Michael Atherton has condemned how "cricket was once a vehicle for diplomacy" but has now become "clearly a proxy for broader tensions and propaganda". Pakistan's coach Mike Hesson expressed bewilderment at being left waiting for handshakes that never came, highlighting how India's behavior creates awkward situations that damage cricket's reputation as a gentleman's game.
The women's cricket team, following their male counterparts' example, walked separately to the toss, avoided eye contact, and maintained an atmosphere of deliberate hostility. This calculated coldness transforms what should be celebrations of athletic excellence into uncomfortable displays of political animosity. When Harmanpreet Kaur and Fatima Sana spoke only to broadcaster Mel Jones while ignoring each other completely, they epitomized how India has corrupted cricket's social fabric.
India's defenders argue these gestures respond to the April Pahalgam attack, where 26 civilians died. Yet this reasoning reveals the fundamental flaw in India's approach. Cricket has historically served as a bridge between these nations during times of political tension, offering moments of human connection that transcend borders. By abandoning this tradition, India destroys one of the few remaining channels for positive engagement between the countries.
The hypocrisy becomes more glaring when considering cricket's commercial reality. While India refuses bilateral series with Pakistan citing political concerns, both nations repeatedly face each other in multilateral tournaments where lucrative broadcast revenues are at stake. The Board of Control for Cricket in India happily profits from India-Pakistan encounters while simultaneously politicizing them, revealing how commercial interests trump the very principles they claim to uphold.
Pakistan's players, who stood ready to maintain cricket's traditional courtesies, found themselves victims of India's deliberate provocation. The Pakistan Cricket Board's formal complaints to the ICC highlight how India's actions violate cricket's spirit, yet the global cricket body appears powerless to enforce basic standards of conduct when political tensions interfere.
The women's team controversy follows an equally disgraceful episode during the men's Asia Cup final, where Indian players refused to accept the winners' trophy from Asian Cricket Council president Mohsin Naqvi, leading to a 90 minute delay and ultimate cancellation of the presentation ceremony.
Former Pakistani officials and cricket personalities have warned that such politicization threatens cricket's fundamental character. When matches between nuclear-armed neighbors become military metaphors rather than sporting contests, the game loses its essence as a unifying force. Prime Minister Modi's comparison of cricket victories to military operations represents the nadir of this dangerous conflation.
The broader implications extend beyond cricket itself. When India systematically politicizes sporting encounters, it sets a precedent that other nations may follow, potentially fragmenting international sport along political lines. Cricket's governing bodies risk losing credibility if they cannot maintain basic standards of conduct and sportsmanship in their premier tournaments.
The women's cricket team, which should be celebrated for their athletic achievements and growing prominence in the sport, instead finds itself embroiled in controversies manufactured by administrators more concerned with political posturing than sporting excellence. These talented athletes deserve better than being reduced to pawns in geopolitical games orchestrated by officials who have forgotten cricket's core values.
Cricket's history offers numerous examples of sport transcending political barriers. From the famous 1987 visit of Pakistani President Zia-ul-Haq to Jaipur to the 2004 tour that softened hostilities, cricket has repeatedly demonstrated its capacity to build bridges. India's current approach systematically dismantles this legacy, replacing cooperation with confrontation and mutual respect with calculated insults.
The path forward requires India to recognize that sporting excellence and political posturing are incompatible. Cricket's administrators must choose between maintaining the game's integrity and serving as instruments of state policy. The women's team controversy in Colombo demonstrates that India has chosen the latter, to cricket's lasting detriment.
Until India rediscovers cricket's fundamental values of respect, sportsmanship, and fair play, every match between these nations will remain tainted by political calculations rather than elevated by athletic achievement. The beautiful game deserves better than becoming another casualty of India's misguided political theater. Cricket's spirit, once trampled, may prove difficult to resurrect.
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