There was a time when sports, particularly cricket, between Pakistan and India were free from political interference, and players maintained friendly relations. In 1998, Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee emphasized that sports should remain separate from politics, even as hardline political parties like Shiv Sena tried to prevent the Pakistan cricket team from visiting India. Vajpayee praised Nawaz Sharif’s initiative to send the team as scheduled, despite the opposition.
However, over time, especially after Narendra Modi became Prime Minister, politics began to influence sports in India. Modi’s approach to sports and sportsmanship differs significantly from that of his predecessors. Under his leadership, sports, music, and cultural exchanges between the two countries have been politicized. Cricket, which is beloved by over a billion people in both nations, has become a tool for political narratives. India has refused to send its team to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy, and it remains uncertain whether Indian captain Rohit Sharma will be allowed to visit Lahore for a group photo with other captains.
Despite this, players from both countries still maintain cordial relations, and there is a shared desire to play in front of their respective audiences. The 1999 cricket series was a huge success for both countries, and similar exchanges took place, such as when Pakistan’s cricket team visited India in 1997 for the Golden Jubilee celebrations. In 2018, former Prime Minister Imran Khan invited prominent Indian cricketers to his inauguration, and although some could not attend, they expressed goodwill.
Today, however, under Modi’s government, political factors have merged with sports, and this is evident in the refusal to play on each other’s soil. Even the ICC Champions Trophy, a major event, will be played on neutral grounds rather than in the countries of the participating teams. The situation is unfortunate, as in the past, Indian cricketers never faced threats, and their tours to Pakistan went off without issues. India’s current stance, however, has taken a toll on not just cricket but other forms of cultural exchange that could unite people from both nations.
The politics of today under Modi have made it difficult for positive diplomatic and sporting exchanges to take place, and the people of both countries are left longing for a time when politics did not dominate sports.
