6 days ago
Exclusive - What Stops India From Saying No To Pakistan? Ex-Cricketer Atul Wassan Reveals
The second edition of the World Championship of Legends culminates in Birmingham on Saturday with Pakistan playing South Africa in the final. It wasn't just the performance of the legends that caught the attention of cricket loving public but also how the Indian legends reacted to Pakistan's presence. They withdrew from the highly-anticipated clash with their arch-rivals twice, including the semi-final. Atul Wassan, a former Indian cricketer and a commentator at WCL, told NDTV's Podcast Tea Toast and Sports, reacted to the Indian players pulling out of the games against Pakistan.
"I am against jingoistic patriotism. I hope the former Indian players can see beyond this and the followers of Instagram. But to expect maturity from these young boys is wishful thinking," said Wassan
While the likes of Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh have been lauded for their decision to boycott, and hold their ground, Atul points to the disruption it has caused to the eco-system, " . If they had said earlier that India will not play Pakistan earlier it would have been fine. But you came here, sign the contract, took the money. This is a huge project, not a mickey mouse gig. South Africa, Australia are here. It is somewhat egg on the face of the organisers"
Days before the Yuvraj-led India Champions pulled out of the WCL semi-final, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) confirmed India will take on Pakistan in Asia Cup on 14th and 21st September. If the teams reach the tournament final, then on 28th September as well. The organisers have shoe horned as many clashes between the arch rivals for commercial gains that no Indian cricketer can say no to.
"Indian cricketers cannot turn up and say no. If they do not want to play, they have to tell BCCI before. It is a necessary evil. My suggestion is do not try to be more loyal than the king," says Wassan on NDTV's Tea Toast and Sports Podcast.
However, being in the commentators' eco-system, Atul must interact with his Pakistani counterparts. The context of the contest has made him feel awkward. But unlike the Indian legends he has decided not to walk out.
