Watch | 'An India-Pakistan Cricket Match Today is Like Fisticuffs Rather Than a Game'

Recently Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar and Dilip Vengsarkar were among those who signed a letter along with 18 other captains to the Pakistani prime minister, appealing for more humane treatment to Imran Khan.

It comes at a time when relations between the two countries are fraught and rival captains don’t even shake hands on the field.

Things were different when players like Gavaskar and Kapil Dev and Imran Khan were active, says veteran cricket writer Ayaz Memon. On the field, they were rivals and off the field, buddies, he said to Sidharth Bhatia in a podcast discussion.

“You will find many videos of Gavaskar praising Imran Khan, what made him such a great captain, a great bowler, and so on. In 1986 Pakistan beat India in India for the first time, but Gavaskar, with his 96 nearly saved the match And Imran Khan took time out to discuss Gavaskar's virtuosity as an opening batsman.” Memon recalled how in 1987, India and Pakistan had jointly hosted the World Cup.

Now, the rivalry “It’s become hardened. It's got a very hard edge to it.” There are many reasons for it. Memon also blames the media for pumping it up. “What they say carries influence.” He says a game between the two countries is like ‘fisticuffs’ rather than the beautiful game of cricket. “The weaponization of sport is an unfortunate development,” he said.

The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.