An India-Pakistan cricket match is always about much more than just cricket. It is a sporting rivalry and grudge match like no other, a titanic clash in which it is almost impossible to separate sport from politics. That’s why hundreds of millions of fans will be glued to their television screens for this Saturday’s match at the Cricket World Cup tournament in India.
The stadium itself will be packed to the rafters, with more than 130,000 spectators lucky enough to get tickets. Some reports suggest that tickets have been selling for as much as $300,000 (£250,000) on the black market. Security will be tight, with thousands of extra police officers drafted in — and all this for a game in the qualifying rounds of the tournament. Losing for either side, even in these early stages, is simply not an option. Anything and everything else – losing to another team, dropping out of the competition – is more palatable than a defeat in this one match.
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