Daily Times

Pakistani cricket captain Babar Azam’s tweet in support of Indian legend Virat Kohli, as the latter faces savage criticism in his country because of his prolonged lean patch, has gone viral on the internet for all the right reasons. “This too shall Pass. Stay strong,” Babar said to his friend and rival and won hearts across both sides of the divide; something that has become very rare over the last decade or so. Virat’s return to form is not just essential for Indian cricket, it is also very important for international cricket because he’s been the best batsman in the world, by far, for quite a long time. And even though Babar has effectively dethroned him from the top of world batting, their faith in each other has only become stronger. Now, since he has the support of fans and fierce rivals alike, there’s no reason for the Indian star not to bounce back strongly.

While Babar’s initiative has provoked only feelings of love and friendship, there is also a deeper message in his initiative that must not be missed. These are times when the two biggest countries of the subcontinent are not only at each other’s throat, they are also witnessing unprecedented political and social hostility within themselves. India has been divided like never before ever since Modi’s rise to power empowered dogmatic Hindutva zealots into undermining minorities, even openly indulging in vicious crimes against them as the state watches silently, to the point that the Congress Party and BJP cadres have begun acting like sworn enemies. In Pakistan too, despite the economy collapsing and the country facing nothing less than the threat of outright sovereign default, the leading political parties have nothing on their agendas except badmouthing, ridiculing and demeaning the other in order to snatch back, or stay in, power. And now this is having a very pronounced social spillover as well, with people lashing out at each other simply because of differences in how they lean politically.

At such times, we need more Babar Azams and Virat Kohlis on both sides. For, the are not just the finest sportsmen around, they have also grown into fine gentlemen and thoroughly respect each other and their teams. If their actions can help those around them overcome their differences without resorting to hostility, then they would have served well above and beyond the call of duty. It’s precisely such sportsman spirit that has been squeezed out of the subcontinent as a whole. *