The 3rd ODI between India and Australia played in Ranchi attracted a lot of attention and not all of them were cricketing reasons. Spectators in the ground and television viewers around the world were surprised to see the Indian team walking out to field with the camouflage cap that the army wears. The social media went buzzing and everyone commented that it was the best thing the Indian players could have done for the army. Soon news trickled in through unofficial sources that it was Dhoni who had come out with this idea and of course there was credibility in the news since Dhoni is a part of the Indian army as Lieutenant Colonel since 2011. It was informed that the players were paying a tribute to the martyred army jawans in Pulwama. Indeed it was a patriotic gesture. The Indian team and the support staff donated a sum of Rs. 1 crore to the families of the martyrs. Apparently, going forward the Indian team will play one home match every year wearing this cap to show their respect for the armed forces.
Just when the euphoria was settling down, news came in that PCB had launched a protest with the ICC on Indian players wearing the camouflage cap. While this protest holds no water as the Indian team had obtained the requisite permissions from ICC, Pakistan is attempting to project India as an aggressor to the world. The information minister of Pakistan has also threatened to ask the Pakistani cricketers to wear black band as a protest to the atrocities in Kashmir. Pakistan will find it very difficult to get support from other countries as the atrocities in Baluchistan that the Pakistan army has been involved in is well known around the globe.
Having said that, did the Indian cricketers wear the cap a little late? Shouldn’t they have worn the cap in the very first match after the Pulwama attack? Did they not get permissions from ICC immediately? Was there any political interest in this noble act? We may never get an answer to most of these questions. Who knows if and when there is an Indo-Pak match in the future both the teams may wear their respective army caps and the intensity of the cricket match may reach another level. Whatever happens every Indian and Pakistani should pray to the almighty that the decision-makers in both countries treat this issue with sensitivity and try to resolve the problem. Cricket can be used very effectively for people to people bonding between the two countries but first the situation should get better on the ground.
The government of the day will hugely benefit from this amazing gesture by the Indian team for giving permission to the Indian players to wear the army cap and with the election mood slowly enveloping the country, political parties will do anything to woo their voters. Dhoni is on the last leg of his brilliant career and indeed if he was responsible for this gesture, who knows; the government will suitably reward him soon after his retirement. Time will be the best judge!
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