Dubai: Indian, Pakistani cricket purists hurt by ugly Asia Cup scenes

Whether it’s his cricket museum or the awards function he hosted until a few years ago for emerging players, Dubai-based Indian businessman Shyam Bhatia has always batted for the spirit of the game.

Bhatia’s museum in Dubai, where he has showcased signed cricket gear, photographs and more than a century-old cricket books and magazines, is open to all cricket aficionados — regardless of their nationality.

“I have always welcomed every cricket lover who wants to pay a visit. It doesn’t matter if the fan is from India or Pakistan or from any other country because cricket belongs to everyone,” Bhatia said.

The 83-year-old cricket promoter is deeply hurt by the controversial scenes at the recent Asia Cup tournament.

A tournament that was held barely four months after India and Pakistan came to the brink of an all-out war, the Asia Cup saw bad blood spill into the field of play.

India’s no-handshake policy triggered a storm, which led to captains making political statements and the victorious Indian team refusing to accept the trophy from Mohsin Naqvi, the Asian Cricket Council president who is also the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board.

In chaotic scenes after a dramatic last-over thriller, Suryakumar Yadav’s Indian team celebrated without a trophy in hand, sparking a bitter row between the cricket boards of India and Pakistan.

Bhatia, who has attended every ODI World Cup since the inaugural edition of the tournament in 1975, never thought he would see such ugly scenes on a cricket field.

“It was very unfortunate to see cricket get entangled in politics. It was a black day for cricket,” he said.

Spirit of cricket

At the main entrance of his cricket museum, Bhatia has framed a piece of white cloth with a message which reads: ‘It’s all about respect: Spirit of Cricket’.

“When I hosted the Shyam Bhatia Cricket Awards for the best young players in the UAE, I invited cricket legends from both India and Pakistan as chief guests to give away the trophies,” said Bhatia.   

“One of my biggest supporters was Imran Khan, who was the chief guest. Zaheer Abbas was a chief guest as well from Pakistan; they gave away trophies to the best young cricketers of the UAE.”  

Imran Khan (centre) and Shyam Bhatia (left) in Dubai. 

Bhatia, who was also felicitated by the International Cricket Council (ICC) during the 2023 ODI World Cup for his tireless efforts to promote the game in countries like the UAE, Japan and Ukraine, says politicians should stop using cricket for their political agenda.

“What happened in the Asia Cup was unfortunate,” he said. “Not shaking hands, the drama at the awards ceremony, this is not the way to do sports events. What sort of example have these cricketers set for youngsters? It was very sad.”  

Don’t insult cricket

Veteran UAE-based Pakistani umpire Tariq Butt counts Indian legend Kapil Dev and the late Bishan Singh Bedi among his best friends in the game.

A former official at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, when the iconic ground hosted the famous India-Pakistan matches in the 1980s and 1990s, warned the cricket boards against continuing their toxic feud.

“It’s damaging the game of cricket. They are not insulting each other; they are insulting cricket. I hope they sort this out; otherwise, it could get even uglier,” he said.

“It was terrible to see the bad vibe between the teams; their body language was very poor, and it was an absolute lack of sportsmanship. What have we been reduced to?”

Back in the day, Butt said, players from India and Pakistan shared a great bond off the field.

“They had some great battles, some absolute classics in Sharjah. But once the match was over, players from both teams would be chatting and joking,” he recalled.

Such was the atmosphere that Sharjah’s famous matches earned him long-lasting friendships with some great Indian players.

“I met the late Bishan Singh Bedi at the Delhi Gymkhana Ground when I went to India. He had a heart of gold,” Butt said.

Tariq Butt with Kapil Dev. 

“And once after a tournament in Sharjah, Kapil appreciated our work so much that he gave a few hundred dollars and asked me to distribute them among the staff.”

Butt also praised Kapil for his appeal to the two cricket boards to stop their battle of egos.

“Kapil is a fine human being and a proper sportsman. He made a very good statement after Sunday’s final, urging everyone to keep sports separate from politics,” Butt said.

“That’s the right mindset. I hope people listen to Kapil and make sincere efforts to resolve the issues because cricket is going to be at the 2028 Olympics. Can our teams show the same behaviour at such a big stage? Can we afford to embarrass ourselves in front of the world? I hope better sense will prevail soon.”

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