India-Pakistan at neutral venue like a mouth-watering meal without salt, El Clasico in US
After many rounds of high-level bilateral discussions, India and Pakistan have finally given up on the highly popular and immensely profitable idea of ‘home’ and ‘away’ cricket. Starting with the ICC Champions Trophy early next year, till 2028 at least, the mother of all sporting rivalries will now be played out at neutral venues.At least for now, the door has been shut for good. The two bickering neighbours wouldn’t invite each other to their homes but in a mutual decision, that gives a strong whiff of hypocrisy, would readily play ball on foreign soil.
So the expats can watch this storied rivalry unfold from the stands, the well-heeled fans from the two nations can take flights to these foreign destinations but the masses, the most interested stakeholders, can say goodbye to their dream ...