Pakistan vs India is the biggest a cricket match can get; Pakistan vs India at an ICC World Cup is the grandest stage of them all.


It is the first match to sell out, it is the first match that 90% of the cricket viewing public look out for when the schedule is released, it is the most anticipated match of any tournament (let alone a World Cup), and it is the most watched match at a Cricket World Cup.

The players always talk about how it is like any other match for them.

It is not true. It is all talk.

The pressure, the excitement, the nerves are all multiplied for the cricketers.

Performing against either team can make careers; not performing can destroy them. Ask Chetan Sharma.


For the fans, it is all about bragging rights.

"Hum ne Pakistan ko haraya, hamare liye yehi World Cup ke barabar hai" - heard in India in 1992.

For fans living in India and Pakistan, it is quite different than for expats living in a place like the UAE or the UK for example.

Residents of India and Pakistan do not interact with each other (besides on social media).

For us expats, it is a totally different ball game.

Schools, offices, apartment buildings, residential communities, shopping malls, restaurants, supermarkets, cinema halls, wherever you go, Pakistanis and Indians coexist.

You have to face each other before and after the match. Sometimes even during the match!

But it never gets hostile. We coexist. Always have.


I grew up in Abu Dhabi. Had a bunch of Indian friends in school. My father had Indian colleagues. We had Indian neighbors. We studied together, we partied together, played cricket together, watched cricket together.

We coexisted throughout all those Sharjah Cup matches.

We had a school cricket team, which had Pakistanis and Indians. We used to play a lot of Pakistan vs India matches against each other, but against other schools we united as one. We were one hell of a great team.


The school team captain was Pakistani. The Vice Captain was Indian. We selected together, strategized together, played together.

The openers were a Pakistani and an Indian. Boy what an opening combination it was.


There were 4 Indians in the top 6 of the batting order. The opening pace attack was Pakistani - a left arm and a right arm pace bowler!

One fond memory of those days is of the Independence Cup played in India in 1997.

It was Pakistan vs India at Chennai.

We watched the match at an Indian friend's house. A dozen Indians and a dozen Pakistanis under one roof.





Saeed Anwar created a new world record - the highest ODI score of 194.

Pakistan won the game and our gracious Indian host treated us to KFC after the match.

We coexisted quite happily.

A decade later, I went to study at Manchester Business School. I was one of two Pakistanis in the Class of 2011. There were 30 odd Indians.

My flatmate was an Indian.

His parents were terrified that he was sharing an apartment with a Pakistani.

We laughed about it. We still laugh about it.


I captained our class team in the MBA Cricket League.

I was one of the only two Pakistanis in the squad. There were 10 Indians.

We played together happily.


A year later, I represented the MBS Cricket Team as an alumni and played under an Indian captain. Again, happily!


In another country, a decade after leaving high school, once again, we studied together, partied together, lived together, ate together, played cricket together, and watched it together.

I watched the entire ICC World Cup 2011 with Indians, including the Mohali semifinal between Pakistan and India.

Even today, we talk about it.

I am on a whatsapp group with all those Indians and the banter still hasn't stopped. It never will. But we will continue to coexist, happily.

Living and working in Dubai, I have so many more such examples of us Pakistanis and Indians coexisting.

There is no animosity. We work together. We play together. We travel together. We watch Pakistan vs India together.

Which we shall do on Sunday 16 June 2019 as well!

I am traveling to Manchester for the match.

The place I have so many fond memories of. The place I made really good friends. Including Indian friends.


The place where Pakistan will take on India at Old Trafford!

It can't get better, nor bigger, than this. Not for me at least.

This coming weekend, Manchester will be a sea of green and blue and the city will be buzzing like never before.

To all my Indian friends - all the best!

To all my Pakistan friends - jeetega bhai jeetega, PAKISTAAAN jeetega!

Pakistan has lost every single World Cup match against India. All 6 of them. Two of them knock outs.

But you know what will happen on Sunday?

Virat Kohli will become the first ever Indian captain to lose a World Cup match to Pakistan.

And after the game, we will continue to coexist. In Manchester, In Dubai, and world over. Happily!

PAKISTAN ZINDABAD!

Manchester was home for me between 2009 and 2011 and while I spent two magnificent years in the city, I was quite disappointed when England did not schedule a test, or for that matter neither an ODI or a T20I, at Old Trafford during Pakistan's tour in 2010.

I did manage to watch a couple of T20 games between England and Australia at Old Trafford and also made my way down to London on the weekends to catch a few days play at Lords and Oval in 2010, I feel like I missed out not watching Pakistan play in Manchester during my two years there.

Pakistan have pretty good memories associated with Manchester, however with mixed results.

1992


Despite that fabulous knock and a 5 wicket haul from Wasim Akram, rain robbed Pakistan of time to press for a win and the match ended in a draw.


2001

In 1996, there was no test at Old Trafford, but Pakistan returned to the venue in 2001 for the final test of a 2-test series after being comprehensively beaten in the first test. Pakistan needed to win the test to maintain their undefeated run in England that stretched back 14 years to 1987.

Looking to maintain their record on England soil, Pakistan posted 400 in the first innings on the back of a classic century by Inzamam Ul Haq who was well supported by Younis Khan (65) and Rashid Latif (71). England's response was emphatic with both Vaughan and Thorpe posting centuries, however once their 267 run partnership was broken, Saqlain and Razzaq combined to send England's next 7 wickets crashing for 75 runs giving Pakistan a 50 run lead.

Another Inzamam classic innings of 85 in the second innings helped Pakistan set an improbably 370 run target, which proved too much for England, even though Trescothick (117) and Atherton (51) set up the chase with a 146 run opening partnership.

Not many teams lose tests after three of their batsmen score centuries, but the two Ws along with Saqlain and Razzaq were a handful for the remaining batsmen.

2006

Pakistan returned to Manchester in 2006 with the series level 0-0 after a draw in the first test. Unlike the tests in 1992 and 2001, which went the distance into the final session of day 5, England finished the game inside 3 days in 2006.

Rather, it was Steve Harmison and Monty Panesar who dashed Pakistani hopes at Old Trafford. The two combined to take 19 Pakistani wickets, which would have been all 20 had Danish Kaneria not run himself out to give England a win by an innings.

2016

Much like 1992, Pakistan will reach Manchester 1-0 up in the series. Back then they had also won the previous test at Lord's. While Manchester's weather is always unpredictable and typical overcast conditions will create seaming conditions, the word is that Old Trafford has become quite a batsman friendly pitch in recent years.

There are also whispers of the pitch suiting Yasir Shah more than the one at Lord's, which will prove to be quite dangerous for England's batsmen.

England have already strengthened their squad by recalling Anderson, Stokes, and Rashid. They are contemplating playing two spinners; whatever XI they pick for Old Trafford, Pakistan will face a much tougher challenge in this test from a hurt English team. But have no doubt that Pakistan will be ready.

It is still arguable whether this is Pakistan's strongest team team or not, however what is clear is that this Pakistan team mean serious business.

They are well prepared, more than any Pakistani outfit before them; they are hungry for success; they are determined to prove their detractors wrong; they are motivated to bring honors to the green and white flag; and they can't wait to bring out the push ups and the salute once again.

Well Pitched is well and alive and I hope to be back in full flow soon.

Hopefully around the time the Champions Trophy comes around.

Till then I'm going to try and concentrate on my MBA, which till now has revolved around cooking and tasting a variety of cuisines, checking out Manchester's night spots, mingling with new people from all over the world, acting like animals in a class room, listening to some Manchester United vs Manchester City arguments, and also doing a bit of accounting.

That was an exercise, and yes I am doing an MBA.

I haven't been able to watch a lot of cricket here.

I caught the last half an hour that led England to the Ashes victory. There was no way I was going to miss that!

I also watched the rained off first T20 match between England and Australia.

That was an interesting experience.

Some Indians and myself decided to watch the match at an Australian sports bar called "The Walkabout".

And we were joined by an American woman, a Taiwanese man, and a Greek man; all from my class who were interested in learning about cricket.

Yes they were!

Australia's innings and my cricket tutorial went on simultaneously. Its a pity the match got rained off.

The best part, however, was that the American and the Greek were not bored! In fact, they thouroughly enjoyed it!

Which surprised as well as pleased me.

I've met a number of people from different places here like Mexico, Spain, and Germany; all of them have asked me about cricket and how it is played!

I think that is awesome.

If I get the chance I'll take all of them down to Old Trafford.

One thing though; they have the appetitie for T20 cricket but there is no way they will even think of watching a game that goes on for 5 days or even 8 hours for that matter.

Tip for the ICC: Use T20 and take it to the world!

And as I said earlier, I'll be back in full flow soon. Hopefully.

Unfortunately Afridi did not have my new UK number, otherwise we would have surely met!

More seriously though, I just found out that Afridi was at Old Trafford Football Club last night for a charity event.

I would have definitely turned up had I known about this before hand; maybe made some donations too.

In other news, Afridi has turned down an offer to play for Tasmania in Australia's Big Bash 20-20 tournament later this year.

Pakistan will be touring New Zealand and Australia from November to January, which will clash with Australia's domestic 20-20 competition.

That's why Afridi decided to turn the offer down.

But Tasmania? I thought it was New South Wales that was interesting in him.

It is I who is moving.

I am currently counting down my last 10 days in Dubai & Abu Dhabi (home for the last 26 years), before I move to the UK for the next two years, or maybe longer.

Manchester to be exact.

Old Trafford, here I come!

Manchester Business School may not be happy to hear that but I guess I'll be found more at Old Trafford than at MBS.

This move could not have come at a better time considering that I am shifting to a country that the Pakistan cricket team is going to call home for the next few years.

The timing is just apt.

I fly out in 10 days from Dubai for a week's visit to London and a 10-day trip to the US; before I reach Manchester around mid-August and settle in.

Why am I telling you all this?

Well just to let you know why there may be a lack of activity on Well Pitched during this time.

Although the glassy post on Pakistan cricket generated a lot of buzz, I have posted only once since then in the last 4 days and have hardly commented on any other blog, which is very unlike me.

I've been pressed for time taking care of things before my move; the next 10 days will be even more hectic. Plus, while travelling it might get difficult to keep up with all the cricket, write about it, and comment.

That in no way means that Well Pitched will not continue to roll. It will and I will be writing; maybe just not as often.

Regular service should resume once I am in Manchester in about a month, unless the MBA starts taking a toll on me.

I doubt that though for you can take me away from the cricket, you can't really take the cricket away from me!