Pakistan and India are not only cricket powerhouses with a robust excitement but the sport also gives impetus to local economies, especially since the launch of premier leagues in the two countries featuring some of the top international players.
This week, when India launched airstrikes into Pakistan, the conflict cast its shadow on the two ongoing lucrative sporting competitions just as it did on the economic growth prospects and overall well-being of people.
Pakistan shifted the remainder of the tenth edition of the Pakistan Super League to the United Arab Emirates while India paused the Indian Premier League matches for one week.
Pakistan Cricket Board announced that the dates and venues of those games in the PSL would be officially confirmed shortly.
The League with the most talented players from several countries has eight matches left this season.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said its suspension of the cricket matches is justified.
The League’s governing council said it consulted the franchises and players and “considered it prudent to act in the collective interest of all stakeholders.”
It’s not just cricket followers who are heartbroken at the news of the supension of the contests but the sponsors and team owners also feel the pinch.
Young fans and future cricket hopefuls are also upset.
The multimillion dollar business tied the game range from hotel industry to tourism, travel and local small enterprises which do well in the carnival atmosphere that cricket contests bring.
Pakistan and India have already deprived their people of the opportunity to see their players in action against each other. When Pakistan hosted the World Championship of Cricket India decided that it would not play its matches on Pakistani soil but in a third country.
The ultimate winner, India played its matches in the UAE, leaving hundreds of thousands of fans without the excitement of watching their players in a charged stadium atmosphere.
TV channels also make huge sums of money from streaming rights.
Pakistan has already announced that its women team would not travel to India for an upcoming major tournament.
