Ashok Namboodiri in Dubai
There are cricket matches, and then there is India vs Pakistan. A fixture that doesn’t just light up stadiums – it sets off tremors across continents. The rivalry is not merely sport; it’s history, theatre, and spectacle compressed into one. And with that spectacle comes a pressure-cooker of expectations for every stakeholder in the ecosystem. Imagine what happens when you have two such showdowns in the space of a week. The tension is palpable here in Dubai, and the stakes have just gone up exponentially with the drama that has unfolded outside the pitch.
We were at the ICC Academy on Saturday evening watching the Indian and Pakistan teams practice. In walked Mohsin Naqvi, Minister of Interior and Narcotics Control in Pakistan, Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and also the President of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). With Pakistan declining to attend the pre-match press conference, the tension in the air has skyrocketed and the players would for sure feel the heat on the ground before a single ball is bowled.
For the men in blue , this isn’t just about form – it’s about destiny. As one fan in Dubai said before the last clash: “If we win today, I don’t need anything else this year. If we lose, don’t talk to me for a week.” That is the gladiatorial burden these players carry: one nation’s ecstasy balanced against another’s despair.
Under normal circumstances, an India-Pakistan derby gets all stakeholders on high alert. The broadcasters look at this encounter as an opportunity to aggregate reach for their platforms and monetise the property. Brands fight for a slice of the moment. Their logos shine brightest on the biggest nights, but they know too well the risks. One misplaced campaign can look exploitative, one insensitive ad can trigger boycotts. It is the marketer’s dream and nightmare rolled into one: unparalleled visibility balanced against unpredictable volatility.
The stadium becomes a fortress, checkpoints multiply, and airspace restrictions fall in place. Administrators juggle the impossible task of ensuring foolproof safety while keeping the buzz of the carnival alive. For them, the match is an exam in diplomacy, logistics, and crisis management all at once.
However, this time around, the situaiton is different. In an unprecdented turn of events, the PCB has engaged motivational speaker Dr Raheel Ahmed in a bid to reduce the stress levels of the players before Sunday’s crunch tie.The coaches and support staff are generals in the shadows – shielding players from the media frenzy, calming nerves during practice, and ensuring that no whisper of politics creeps into the dressing room.
Every net session feels like rehearsing for a skirmish, every tactical move weighed not just for cricketing merit but for its symbolic resonance. In the last one week, the no-handshake saga has escalated from an instance of leveraging the sporting platform to make a political statement to a dangerous precedent, with Pakistan asking for the removal of the match refree Andy Pycroft. They then pushed the limits by holding stakeholders to ransom by arriving late to the match and boycotting the press conference. The role of the team management is to “manage” the external environment so that the players can focus on the pitch – the batting, bowling and fielding. In this context, the Pakistan team mamangemnt has done a gross disservice to the players.
The India-Pakistan match is more than a contest – it is a storm that engulfs every stakeholder. The players sweat not just for runs but for legacy. The managers fight invisible psychological wars. The broadcasters script drama for billions. The sponsors pray for glory without scandal. The security agencies build fortresses. And the fans – oh, the fans – pour their very soul into every moment.
Follow Revsportz for latest sports news