Contrary to popular belief, the value of the T20 World Cup won’t go down, and nor will world cricket miss a big deal if the scheduled match between India and Pakistan doesn’t take place on February 15, believes Sanjay Manjrekar. The Pakistan government’s decision of their players ‘not taking the field’ against India in Colombo has raised questions over the fixture, with the ICC urging Mohsin Naqvi and Co. to rethink its stance. A lot of decisions going back-and-forth are expected over the next 10 days or so, but even if the two parties aren’t able to come reach a common ground, Manjrekar doesn’t feel it should make any difference, simply because the gulf between India and Pakistan in terms of the quality of cricket has gotten way too big.
“If the India-Pakistan doesn’t happen, no big deal for me. Honestly, for a long time now – and you’ve seen it as well – the actual game never lives up to the hype and drama that we’ve had before in an India-Pakistan match. And the reason for that is also very obvious. It’s that India and Pakistan are no longer in the same league. Earlier, in the 90s and before that, it was fun because Pakistan was a strong team. Not anymore. So, if India-Pakistan doesn’t happen in this world event, no big deal,” Manjrekar said in a video shared on his Instagram.
Manjrekar rather insists that the focus should be on India’s other matches – against the SENA nations – that should captivate the audience. And true, that. The rivalry between India and Pakistan is not what it used to be. Gone are the days of the 1990s and early 2000s, when the two teams would fight tooth and nail to outdo each other. In fact, in the last 10 years, Pakistan have defeated India only thrice – Champions Trophy final 2017, 2021 T20 World Cup and the 2022 Asia Cup. India has dominated Pakistan every step of the way, including a hat-trick of wins during last September’s Asia Cup.
‘Beating Pakistan is like beating minnows’
Meanwhile, teams like Australia and New Zealand have troubled India in ICC events, and it is in these matches that the Men in Blue’s character would truly be tested. Manjrekar has urged the public to drop the ball on the India-Pakistan rivalry and instead pay attention to much stronger units against whom India’s T20 World Cup chances will depend.
“You still have Australia, England, New Zealand, and South Africa. Those are the matches to watch. Those are the teams India needs to beat for us to feel proud. Maybe in the ‘90s, you would have felt really nice if India beat Pakistan, but now, when India beats Pakistan, it’s almost like India is beating the minnows. That’s how much Pakistan cricket has deteriorated. And I saw that in the Asia Cup as well. You just have to compare the young players that have come into the Indian cricket system to those who have come up through Pakistan’s system. Zameen-aasmaan ka fark hai,” he added.
“For me, India vs Pakistan is a non-event. It’s unfortunate if it doesn’t happen. You don’t want somebody getting a walkover or abandonment or forfeiture, but I don’t think it’s going to bring the value of the tournament down because of the other four teams that I mentioned. India-Pakistan don’t care.”
