Can cricket fandom be conflated with patriotism?
The Hindu
A responsible media and public would not turn cricket into something that is more than a sport
This has been going on for years. Even when I was playing, this kind of animosity was built up largely by the media. That trend continues. Over a period of time, India has always got the better of Pakistan, especially in the World Cup. But there have been fantastic matches between both the nations. There’s also camaraderie between the players of both countries and that continues — the cricketers from this generation are good friends. Also, if you see photographs, the players may seem calm, but a lot of other things you get to hear from the media. This kind of hype has been sustained over decades. But it’s also up to the public to realise where to draw the line and deal with this as a sporting event rather than mix it up with other things.