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Journalism of Courage
Pakistan could play the Champions League T20 in India. That would be a good opening
Sport finds its highs in great rivalries Federer vs Nadal,Fischer vs Spassky,Argentina vs Brazil and,when it comes to cricket,India vs Pakistan. That is when match spills out of stadium onto the street,when it invokes the past and indulges the present. However,the great game in the subcontinent,between India and Pakistan,has been on the backburner since 26/11. The meetings were rare but charged. They have played only once in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks at the World Cup semifinal in Mohali in 2011. Now,a cricket team from Pakistan could be invited to play in India for a non-ICC event: the Champions League T20 to be hosted in India later this year. There are still modalities to be taken care of. The leagues governing council has to take the final call and the government has to give its nod.
Beyond politics,it will be good for cricket and its extraordinary gentlemen. It could showcase the best of Pakistan in a format that they have the instinct to dominate. Eventually,it could also bring Pakistan back into the IPL that could erase the ignominious memories of the 2009 auction when no Pakistani player was picked up. And then it could prove what crowd-pullers like Shahid Afridi and big hitters like the Akmal brothers can do in the shortest format of the game. This can be a great opening.
