Friday, November 15, 2024

ICC Champions Trophy 2025 - It requires two hands to create a clap

The country should come first

ICC Champions Trophy 2025 has been made a controversial event, and like my previous blog post, it is a war of optics, where in history, none will discuss what India did, but everyone will discuss what Pakistan did because Pakistan is the host, and spotlight always redirect towards the hosts, and hence just imagine after twenty years, when someone else might be discussing Pakistan and while going towards Sports Almanac, it'd only show that Pakistan was not able to host its tournament on its soil, just like Asia Cup 2022 in UAE hosted by Sri Lanka and similarly recently concluded Women T20I World Cup 2024 in UAE was hosted by Bangladesh, Almanac would show that due to political instability in their country, but when it comes to Pakistan, Indians have been trying their level best to create an optics globally against Pakistan.

India as Potential threats in Pakistan

Indian propaganda machines have been very active

Indian propaganda machines have been very active right now, and they have been playing psychological mind games, the same technique they used inside India, where they promoted Aranab Goswami, which is the same technique our news channels also promote in their broadcasting, but while listening to their (Indians) presentations, they have been shamelessly mentioning India as a potential host as they are deeming as a minus-Pakistan scenario, because right now Pakistan and Pakistan Cricket Board both are in such mood that according to Mr. Gupta, even if Pakistan admits Hybrid Model, which in my perspective is Hybrid warfare, another name given to Hybrid Warfare is Hybrid Model, and this is where I am banking on that this scenario is kept pushing inside the carpet, because if I join missing pieces of the puzzle, it was India who were not happy with Pakistan co-hosting Asia Cup with Sri Lanka, but right now India has been playing China Card, where Indian sports media has been playing mouth piece for their prime minister, similarly whatever Mr. Gupta and Mr. Vivek have been blabbing that India has been steadfast on its stance whereas after 26/11 as we were pointing towards Pakistan, Pakistan were found committed, this has been their stance, whereas we have been so nubile and friendly with them that we even compromised our own national interests, and now they have been stuffing nails on our so-called coffin, because as I have been mentioning again-and-again that we have been turned into lab-rats, where everyone comes tests us and publish their findings, whereas we have been doing nothing except making noises.

Indians playing with the optics!

Deleting the hostname from the official ICC logo reveal is
is something most people won't identify at first glance

India's refusal to travel to Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy is a stark reflection of the deeper issues surrounding the geopolitics of cricket, particularly when viewed in the context of Pakistan's long-awaited opportunity to host a multinational tournament for the first time since 1996. While much of the conversation focuses on the optics of the situation, we must not overlook the fundamental concerns that lie beneath the surface.

As I've pointed out in previous posts, this entire spectacle is more about creating a sensation than addressing the core issue at hand. The decision to shift the focus to peripheral matters, much like the drama surrounding the 2023 Asia Cup, only serves to mask the real questions that need to be asked. Why is Pakistan, after years of isolation, relying on external forces to dictate the terms of its cricketing future?

Sure, hosting the tournament in Pakistan might offer short-term benefits, but the longer-term implications are worth scrutinizing. Cricket in Pakistan has had its fair share of setbacks, and while the country is clearly eager to regain its place on the global stage, the question remains: how does hosting international events truly benefit Pakistan’s cricket in the long run? Is it enough to simply play host to tournaments while relying on the goodwill of foreign nations, or should Pakistan focus on nurturing its domestic structures and elevating the sport from within?

Comparing this situation to South Africa’s history during apartheid highlights an important distinction. Despite being isolated during the apartheid era, South Africa eventually thrived because of a consistent, homegrown cricketing culture and strong infrastructure. By contrast, Pakistan’s insecurity about staging games on home soil raises a more pressing concern: why is the country so dependent on international validation? Why has Pakistan's cricket board allowed the fate of its domestic cricket to rest in the hands of foreign powers?

India’s refusal to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy isn't simply about refusing to play; it's about the larger question of whether Pakistan’s cricket future will continue to be shaped by external forces, or whether it will take charge of its own destiny. It's time for Pakistan to stop playing the victim and start building a sustainable cricketing future, independent of the optics that others want to project.

What is the use of making noises after spilling out milk?

Why do we need to prepare for it at the earliest?
What proactive measures can we take to eradicate this scenario?
Reacting The action approach is the defensive mindset.
Taking accountability for our own actions and having some dignity instead of treating the whole nation as dancers.
Did we go for an alternative approach, like India has been banking on their media outlets, as the current ICC broadcaster is of Indian origin, did we holistically go for an alternative approach to create an economy package where instead of Indian broadcasters, they (countries like Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Kenya) could opt for a Pakistani broadcaster, as right now majority of the broadcasters in cricketing world comes from India, did we create such sort of economy aspect?
Who is getting benefits from Pakistan dependent instead of homegrown broadcasters, depending heavily on foreign broadcasters? It should be investigated for sure.
This should have been the responsibility of the PCB to create such aspects and create their own self-grown earning sources instead of outsourcing.