Cricket
Racing
Rugby
League
Motorsport
Football
Golf
Combat Sports
Basketball
Tennis
Other Sports
Sport Nation
Ian Smith: Cricket's complicated love/hate relationship with India
Ian Smith • March 17th, 2025 2:30 pm
Photo: Photosport
The truth is, almost wherever you are in the world, you're not that far away from an Indian cricket fan. That's because Indian people are all over the world and they love their cricket.
This time last week, the cricket world outside of India were rueing the fact that the Blackcaps couldn't get it done in Dubai. Honestly, they did amazingly well to get that close because not one side competing in that competition would have beaten India in those conditions. I promise you that.
Pakistan actually ended up being very hollow hosts of the Champions Trophy. They worked tirelessly to get their stadiums ready. They put a heavy emphasis on security so nothing would go wrong to players, fans, media throughout the tournament. It was very well protected.
But they only got to play one game at home, ironically, and that was against us. Weather intervened, they couldn't get a game in in Islamabad, so I really did feel for the Pakistan people and the Pakistan cricket people who were looking forward to this event - the first time they had any sort of international cricket of any nature since around 1996.
Why ex-Blackcaps quick Kyle Mills is concerned with the state of international cricket | Beaver & Guy
You can take India out of India, but you'll never take the Indian cricket team away from India. Fans, unless they're in Pakistan, are everywhere.
Dubai could have been any stadium in their conditions and atmosphere. No way in Pakistan, the true and original hosts, would they have enjoyed such a luxury of feeling that good.
There is a school of thought - and it has merit - that if India weren't prepared to go to the originally decided venue by the ICC, then perhaps they should have been replaced by either the West Indies or Sri Lanka.
But for the current health of the game, that could never happen. They're due to co-host next year's T20 World Cup with Sri Lanka. Pakistan won't go to India. Why should they? They will end up playing each other in Colombo, because it's a match-up that the ICC cannot afford to not happen.
What is undeniable is that there is, at this time, a general dislike and also a fear of the Indian cricket nation and the power that they possess. More dominant than any other sport that I can think of in the world at the moment.
Speak to any administrator in any country, they'll tell you the income received when India come to town to play is undeniable. The television rights are just so valuable that they'll keep any nation afloat for quite some time. New Zealand fit into that - television rights tenfold more perhaps than any other nation.
The truth is though, this Indian cricket team is undeniably good. They win at a high ratio, particularly in white-ball cricket. They don't need any favours.
The Indian cricket fan base is more passionate than any other in the sporting world. That is obvious. You only have to be at a stadium, the sea of blue is incredible. It's a powerful force, far more reaching than any other.
But it's a truly unique situation, because the rest of the world want to smash India. But the rest of the world cashes in on India's success. The biggest double-edged sword that I can think of in sport at the moment.
Listen to Mornings with Ian Smith, Mondays to Wednesdays, from 9am-12pm on Sport Nation.
