5 reasons why the India-Pakistan cricket series is unable to turn into a reality

The much-awaited India-Pakistan series in December seems to have gone for a toss. The high-octane clash between the neighbours is an event that is not only eagerly anticipated by fans from the two countries but is also a phenomenon in world cricket. The entire world follows a match between the arch rivals and nothing creates more social media buzz than this.In spite of this, why is the series not taking place? Or why does it have to cross so many hurdles before it can actually take place?It does not have to be told that the diplomatic relations between the two countries have never been the best and the current situation is no better either. Along with that, broadcasting rights, administrative issues and constant ideological clashes seem to get in the way of some quality cricket. We wonder when we will see the Blues and the Greens clash, apart from the time when they participate in ICC World Tournaments.Here is a list of five reasons why the much-loved series between India and Pakistan cannot turn into a reality:

#1 Lack of Time

India are set to visit and play the world champions in January

Gone are the days when cricket tournaments were played twice or thrice a year. Modern day cricket is all about being competitive. Also, it has a huge fan base which consumes it on a daily basis, contributing to the ever-increasing bilateral tournaments being played all around the year.

Thus, with such gruelling schedules and with franchise cricket (read Indian Premier League, Carribean Premier League), the cricketers hardly have any time to catch a break. Compromising on the health of the players is not something any cricket board would willingly do.

This can be one of the issues why the Indo-Pak series may have taken a backseat. India are currently playing the Proteas at home, which includes three T20s, five ODIs and four Tests. It is a long 72-days tour that comes to an end on December 7, 2015. India travels to Australia to play a series against them beginning on January 12 that comprises five ODIs and three T20Is.

This leaves a very small window between the two tours when India would be expected to travel to United Arab Emirates (UAE) to play Pakistan. It increases administrative work which has to be organised in a short span and exhausts the Indian players with too many international matches.

#2 Broadcasting conundrum

Essel media baron Subhash Chandra is also the owner of Ten Sports

Apart from being the platform for some of the best cricket, a series between the two nations is also a huge commercial benefit, much of which is gained from television and online broadcasting.

The fate of the proposed Test series between India and Pakistan hinges on which television network gets to broadcast it. The negotiations seem to have stuck on the question of which broadcaster will air these lucrative matches.

Due to the inability of international matches being hosted in Pakistan, UAE has automatically become their home ground. Naturally, Pakistan should have the lion’s share of say in this matter. The rights to the matches hosted by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) are bought by Ten Sports, a sports broadcast network owned by leading entrepreneur Subhash Chandra.

Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI), however, is learnt to be extremely displeased with Chandra over his alleged recent efforts to launch an alternative cricket body within India as well as globally. Besides, the late BCCI chairman Jagmohan Dalmiya and Chandra have had an extremely strained relationship in the past, which had led BCCI to be more inclined to hand it over to Star India, the company that broadcasts all Indian matches at home and abroad.

This has put PCB in a legal quandary as it sold its telecast rights to Ten Network for $150 million for five years, who for obvious reasons refuse to cede to BCCI’s demands. This is another reason why the series is stuck in a limbo.

#3 Fringe politics

Shiv Sena vandalising the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai

When it comes to India-Pakistan, can politics be far behind? Radical political parties like Shiv Sena have vociferously argued against an Indo-Pak series. In an effort to have their opinions heard, Shiv Sena protestors stormed the BCCI Mumbai office to protest against a planned meeting with Pakistan cricket officials. The protest was carried out ahead of the meeting of BCCI chief Shashank Manohar and his Pakistani counterpart Shahryar Khan.

If that wasn’t enough, the fundamentalists threatened Pakistani cricket umpire Aleem Dar as well. Dar was scheduled to officiate in the fifth ODI of the recently concluded limited overs series between India and South Africa, but Shiv Sena issued the threat to him after vandalising the BCCI headquarters, shouting anti-Pakistan slogans at Manohar.

Prior to this, Shiv Sena activists threw ink over the organiser of a book launch in Mumbai by a former Pakistani foreign minister. Earlier this month, they also protested to force the cancellation of an appearance in the city by revered Pakistani singer Ghulam Ali.

The Shiv Sena, a partner in a ruling coalition with the Bharatiya Janata Party in Maharashtra, opposes any dealings with Pakistan, citing the 2008 terror attacks which India blamed on militants from across the border. Violent civil strife has delayed any further progress of the already-doomed series.

#4 BCCI versus PCB

BCCI Chairman Shashank Manohar could not hold his meeting with his PCB counterpar

The two cricket boards do not seem to see eye to eye on most things. Whether it is the broadcasting rights or venue selection, both boards have myriad issues. After realising that PCB was unwilling to give up their Ten Sports visual media rights, BCCI wanted to schedule the series in India.

Pakistan did not want that because that would mean sharing a part of the money raised through broadcast rights with BCCI. “Why should we do that? We all know that India-Pakistan matches are the most lucrative of all the cricket matches. As it is, the Indian board is quite rich. Why should we compromise with our opportunity to make some money,” said a senior PCB member not wanting to be named to The Indian Express.

Apart from this, once radical politics raised its ugly head in India, BCCI succumbed to the pressure. BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur virtually ruled out the possibility of an early resumption of Indo-Pak bilateral cricket series even as he strongly condemned the Shiv Sena protests. Thakur stated that first the conditions have to improve to hold talks and only then a bilateral series could be a possibility, an announcement that rubbed PCB the wrong way.

“In terms of relations between BCCI and PCB, we had held talks five months earlier and then again. I had made it clear earlier as well that the talks can continue between the Boards, but cricket will only happen when conditions will improve.The two governments will have to start talking at one level. If you talk about the December series, it will be very difficult for me to commit till we talk with the union government”, he said to the PTI.

#5 Former cricketer\'s opinion

Javed Miandad said that Pakistan should boycott 2016 World Twenty20 in India

A former cricketer’s clamour may also be partially the reason why the series is in trouble. Legendary Pakistan batsman and former captain Javed Miandad has countered the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), stating that they have shown no interest in reviving the UAE series, because they are afraid of losing to Pakistan. This comes after India’s humiliating defeat at home against the Proteas.

“It is India which does not want it to happen because they are afraid of losing to Pakistan,” he told Dawn. The right-handed batsman expressed his belief that the Indian government strongly influences workings of the BCCI. “The BCCI is not a cricket board but a government’s board,” he said. “This attitude of India towards other cricketing nations is the beginning of their downfall and the day is not far when India would itself ask Pakistan for a series.”

The 58-year old further insisted that PCB must boycott next year's World Twenty20 in India. “If respect really matters to the PCB, then it should not send the team to the World T20,” he emphasised. “It is a matter of our country’s prestige for which India has no regard.”

When a respected individual like Miandad says things like this publicly, it does not paint a good picture for the future of India-Pakistan series.