Opinion | Scandal sniffers
1 min read . Updated: 01 Jul 2019, 10:03 PM ISTYet, a perfect day can quickly turn nasty, as happened when Pakistani and Afghan supporters clashed over a “Justice for Balochistan” banner
What do they know of cricket who only cricket know? The Caribbean historian C.L.R. James could have written this oft-quoted question with India in mind. The gentleman’s game whose English roots today appear no more than an accident of history has transformed since the days of James, its players showered with sponsorships, fame and fortune. Witness the festive scenes at the ICC Cricket World Cup. Support for teams is deafening and colourful. A large part of that is down to diversity.
Yet, a perfect day can quickly turn nasty, as happened when Pakistani and Afghan supporters clashed over a “Justice for Balochistan" banner. India’s loss against England has spawned many an outlandish theory. India threw the game to make Pakistan’s entry into the semis that much more difficult, argue social media conspiracy sniffers. Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti seemed to pin the loss on the new orange on the Indian blue, a joking political jibe. Perhaps it’s time to turn Jamesian wisdom on its head. Could it be that India lost fair and square to England, by far the better team on the day?
