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What If India and Pakistan Played As An United Nation?

What If India and Pakistan Played As An United Nation: India and Pakistan are certainly one of the most dominant cricketing nations in the world. Both sides are considered to be the best and are producing legendary players year after year. Well, when it comes to India and Pakistan as two separate nations, how can one overlook the most substantial occurrence in history? I guess you already know what I’m talking about. Yes, the PARTITION benefited some while leaving scars on the minds of many. The unfortunate incident took place in 1947 and changed every aspect of the two nations forever. 

No, we’re not pulling your attention to the political aspect of the topic. We’re here with an exciting perspective to help you understand what the sporting industry would have looked like if India and Pakistan played as one united nation. We’ve skimmed through multiple insightful points to issues that would rake up a storm. 

Being a huge cricketing fan myself, when it comes to India and Pakistan, I always wonder what would have happened if India and Pakistan were not separated as two different nations in 1947. Just Imagine Babar Azam and Virat Kohli playing for India, Shaheen Afridi and Jasprit Bumrah leading the Indian bowling line-up! Pakistan’s tape ball cricket and India’s tennis ball cricket would undoubtedly have allowed the BCCI to find best talent. Just imagine the line-up! Definitely, the thought sounds impactful, and the domination of BCCI would reach unparalleled heights. 

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Also Read: Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2022 Squad Update, and Live Streaming Update

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Jhulan Goswami and Sana Mir’s Domination in Women’s World Cricket

Sana Mir and Jhulan Goswami are two of the world’s top female cricket players. In nations like India and Pakistan, where men and women are still not treated equally, these two talented women are also a representation of women’s strength, kindness, and love. One of the quickest female bowlers in the world is Jhulan Goswami, a member of the Indian cricket squad since 2002.

Jhulan won the ICC Women’s Player of the Year title in 2007. Sana began representing Pakistan in 2005, two years earlier. Ever wondered something? If these two seasoned athletes had been in the same dressing room, how dominant would team India have been?

Javed Miandad and Imran Khan are Playing For Team India

No other player in the world could ever match the charm of Javed Miandad. One of Pakistan’s finest creations, Miandad, has scored 8,832 runs in Test matches and 7,381 runs in ODIs while playing for Pakistan. He has also scored 23 centuries in Test cricket and eight centuries in ODIs. I simply want you to picture Sunil Gavaskar and Miandad opening for Team India. The visuals are terrifying, right?

India would have tormented West Indies and Australia back then, and I believe with this absolute authority in world cricket, India would have hosted the World Cup before 1987. Several other Pakistani veterans, such as Imran Khan, Waqar Younus, Zaheer Abbas, and Wasim Akram, would have joined Kapil Dev, Sachin Tendulkar, and Mohinder Amarnath. India would have won 1987, 1993, and 1997 ODI World Cup. 

Best Batting And Bowling Line Up In ODI Cricket 

With 18,426 runs, Tendulkar holds the record for most ODI runs scored. On the other hand, with 502 wickets, Pakistan’s Wasim Akram is the highest wicket-taker in ODIs as a pace bowler. These records would have been held by the same team – Team India! Both the veterans would have helped BCCI shape team India’s future and assist the team in reaching incredible heights. Not only this, but with this mighty batting and bowling line up, India would have easily overpowered mighty Australia in each edition of the ICC World Cup.

BCCI At Its Peak!

I firmly believe that the team which dominates world cricket has a good hold over the ICC. England was the founder of cricket, and the West Indies introduced absolute supremacy in world cricket. India may have won the 1983 World Cup, but at that time, Pakistan was that team which had a fierce bowling attack that frightened the top-notch West Indian batters. 

If there had been no partition in 1947, India would have won five ODI World Cups, i.e., in 1983, 1997, 1992, 1999, and 2003. The squad later may have achieved a triumph in the T20 World Cup by winning the 2007 and 2009 T20 World Cup. Sri Lanka defeated India in 2015 because of poor bowling. If there had been no partition, India would have won that efficiently too. 

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Also Read: ICC T20 World Cup: Top Wicket Taker From 2007 to 2021

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Danish Kaneria Bigger Than Harbhajan Singh

Danish Kaneria made his international debut as a leg-spinner against England in Faisalabad in November 2000 at 19. He would have been the next big thing for Pakistan. Still, it could not be because of the diplomatic relationship between India and Pakistan. Not only Kaneria but Yusuf Yohana, one of the finest Pakistani batsmen, was mistreated because of his religion. Kaneria and Yohana were assets that could have been used wisely under the BCCI belt. If there had been no partition, I believe we would not have seen the supremacy of Harbhajan Singh or Rahul Dravid. 

Team India’s Playing XI For World Cup 2023

We might not have witnessed the epic of Dinesh Karthik’s innings against Bangladesh if India was not partitioned in 1947. In 1971 East Pakistan gained independence from West Pakistan and became Bangladesh. Have you ever wondered about the batting/bowling line-up India would have if there were no Pakistan and Bangladesh? 

Team India 

Bowlers: Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Amir, Mustafizur Rahman, and Yuzvendra Chahal

If Bumrah, Amir, and Rahman had been teammates on the same team, the star-studded speed trio would have been unbeatable. Amir can be a deadly asset in the first powerplay and can agitate the batsman with his raw pace and mastery to move the ball both ways. Bumrah, in death overs, has the deadly bowl yorkers. Mustafizur Rahman can be used in the middle overs to check the run rate and break the opposition’s middle order’s back.

Batters: Virat Kohli, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman

With players like Kohli, Azam, and Mushfiqur Rahim, the middle order looks too impressive. At the same time, Babar is someone who is in hot form and has gained much success in recent years. On the other hand, Kohli has the tenacity to flip a match on its head and will be the man best suited to play at number three. He can make the most of his wicket and, if necessary, even add a late flourish. Zaman, on the other side, can be lethal as a finisher and may turn the game whenever needed. 

All-Rounders: Hardik Pandya and Shakib Al Hasan

Lower middle-order batters are frequently given the responsibility of winning the match, and Shakib Al Hasan has perfected the task with his style of cricket. Hardik Pandya, a hard-hitting all-rounder who can destroy any bowling attack with his ferocious strokeplay, would have been an asset. These two would have provided the squad with the proper balance.

Team India’s Domination In Hockey

By winning gold medals in six consecutive Olympic Games from the year 1928 to the year 1956, the Indian hockey team proved its mettle all over the world. Imagine the uproar India would have created if there was no partition in 1947. Keeping in mind the world record of 1932 before partition at Los Angeles Olympics, the Indian hockey team made the opposing team all four by scoring 24 goals against America.

In one historic match played on 11th August 1932, Indian player Roop Singh scored a maximum of 10 goals. In the 1936 Berlin Olympics, the Indian team led by Dhyan Chand did not give the opposing teams a chance to achieve a single goal while reaching the finals. 

In the final, India faced Germany in front of approximately 40,000 spectators. Among them was the Nazi leader Hitler. After witnessing Germany’s plight against India during that game, he couldn’t wait for the game to end and got up in the middle and left. There was a point in the game when the Indian team led by six goals. The German team attempted to be overly aggressive, eventually leading to Dhyan Chand, the Indian captain, losing a tooth. 

Final Words

Concluding the story, it’s sad to see India and Pakistan not being a united nation to create historical moments. But have you ever wondered about the amount of tension and politics the sector might be involved in when millions of talent enrol for sports that require just 15-18 people in a squad? Don’t you think, in such a scenario, countless natural talents would have never gotten an opportunity to perform? 

Were there chances of Tendulkar coming into limelight if India and Pakistan were one nation?  Besides, if this  hypothetical situation were true, the Indian Premier League (IPL) would have been different. One thing that’s assured is an united nation would produce the best talent and create its own legacy in world sports. 

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