Cricket
Can we simply enjoy an India-Pakistan match keeping jingoism aside?
Team India is riding good momentum after its two successive victories against South Africa and reigning champions Australia at the 2019 Cricket World Cup. While the Men in Blue will aim to continue their unbeaten run when they face-off a dominant New Zealand on Thursday, the fan fervour has already skyrocketed for Sunday's most-anticipated encounter against Pakistan.
While a regular India-Pakistan encounter keeps supporters glued to their television sets, sentiments run even higher when these two neighbours square off at a big platform like the World Cup. The stakes will be much higher this time owing to the diplomatic tensions between the two neighbours and the clarion call to ban the match that followed.
To build the hype around the high-stakes game, official broadcaster Star Sports skipped promoting India’s match with the Kiwis and leapt directly to the Pakistan clash. In its bid to bring back the vibe of the famous ‘Mauka Mauka’ ad that had gone viral during the 2015 World Cup, the broadcasters reprised it with a Father’s Day twist for June 16, when Father’s Day is celebrated all across the World, coinciding with the day of the high-voltage match.
The advertisement which hit the screen on June 9 shows the protagonist metaphorically announcing India as ‘Baap’ of Pakistan while the neighbouring country players convince themselves to put up an energetic show by trying and not giving up.
It is not surprising that the ad mocks Pakistan's dismal show against India in ICC events, with the former failing to win a single match against the Men in Blue in World Cups so far.
The video shows actor Vikas Malhotra, who plays the Pakistani son remembering his father's words on how one should keep trying and never give up. The Indian fan in the ad uses the opportunity to take the 'baap' dig on the Pakistani fan.
Though the 'mauka mauka' ad gained a lot of popularity in India with its humorous take, this time the commercial drew flak from Indian fans on social media, especially on Twitter. Unimpressed with the ad, people called it to be in bad taste. Some fans also reminded the channel about how a similar campaign had backfired massively for India during the 2017 Champions Trophy when Pakistan had defeated India in the final. The widely shared ad gained much slander than praises.
The ad is not only condescending for the Pakistanis but as well for the Bangladeshis as the commercial also portrays Bangladesh as the ‘Brother' of Pakistan which directly hits the emotions of the people of these countries.
In 2012-13, before England's tour of India Star Sports had produced ads with the theme, “Kya Team India baja payegi angrezon ki?" The campaign was rightly called out on social media at the time, but the real slap in the face was given by the England team itself, which defied all odds to win the four-match Test series 2-1.
Not gentle at all
Cricket being touted to be a gentlemen’s game, players show the utmost respect to each other’s determination to win for their country. Though there is nowhere mentioned that ‘India is Pakistan’s Father’ in the game, the commercial does appear to be an indirect mockery of the competition for their dismal record against India in ICC world cup tenure.
https://twitter.com/StarSportsIndia/status/1137649283195445249The ad clearly fails to draw a line between light-hearted banter and delves straight into patronising India as a father figure and superior power to Pakistan, which goes beyond sporting ties and lends a negative personal and political connotation. Often we see Indians and Pakistanis taking unnecessary dig against each other on social media owing to the bittersweet history both the countries share. The discourse of these banters more often harps on nationalist jingoism where the neighbouring country is demeaned.
Star Sports, instead of celebrating the efforts put by the teams, resorted to mocking our neighbours' sentiment at a time when social media is rife with xenophobic posts. This ad further instigates those who openly exhibit their condescension towards other countries.
The counter ad
On the other hand, Pakistan walks the extra mile and stoops to a new low in an attempt to mock India's chances at the World Cup, where they release an ad mimicking India's Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman who was captured a day after the Balakot airstrike. The advertisement by Pakistan's Jazz TV shows a model made to look like the IAF officer with his trademark moustache in a Blue Jersey answering questions on camera.
https://twitter.com/atulmohanhere/status/1138391389836853249The lookalike repeats Abhinandan’s viral statement “I’m sorry, I am not supposed to tell you this” in the ad several times as he is asked questions related to India’s playing XI and the team’s strategy if it wins the toss.
Without going on a debate of who made it crasser, it should be highlighted that such ads do spur the xenophobia which, otherwise is deep-rooted in today's ecosystem and should be avoided in the present agenda of divisive politics.
https://twitter.com/MirzaSania/status/1138694896351498240Such campaigns quickly draw attention and spread on social media platforms like wildfire. While we have seen social media campaigns like "Profile For Peace" where people posted selfies with a message saying that they do not hate the other country, contrary to such campaigns, this category of instigating ads has its own share of a fan base.
Last Sunday when India took on Australia, the Indian skipper Virat Kohli won not only the match but as well as hearts after he silenced the Indian fans who booed Australia's Steve Smith who faced hostile crowds since returning from year-long bans for their roles in a ball-tampering scandal in South Africa last year. This gesture broods the real template of sportsmanship. At a time, when political and social hostilities widen the chasm between nations, races, and religions, sports unite us through spirited performances.
During the 2018 Asian Games, the Pakistani tennis contingent backed Indian tennis players Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharma during the men's doubles semifinals at the Jakabaring Tennis Center. The top-seeded Indian pair went on to win the gold medal, and Pakistani players were seen making a beeline for a picture with Bopanna, who reached a Grand Slam final with Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi back in 2010. The Bopanna-Qureshi pair used to call the 'Peace Express' for never missing a chance to stress on the need for peace between the two nations. It's narratives like these which stand out and goes out making a statement. And every responsible broadcast houses in India should promote this culture of brotherhood and resilience.
The diplomatic problems between India and Pakistan make peace seem like a pipe dream, which sometimes is achieved during sporting events.
Cricket affords one of the best ways of getting the two countries to engage with each other constructively, and the two peoples to think about each other's talents and not their prejudices.
In the spirit of the game, let's denounce the divisions and watch the beautiful rivalry unfurl on the 22-yard this Sunday.
