India wields cricket as a geopolitical tool against Pakistan
A spat over a big tournament highlights how bad relations have got
Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, India’s foreign minister, believes that diplomacy is like cricket. Speaking at an event in November, he claimed that both pursuits feature multiple players, changing conditions and intense competition, which requires out-thinking “the other team”. Mr Jaishankar may have been talking metaphorically, but cricket is taking on literal meaning in Indian foreign policy. The country’s biggest passion is now an active diplomatic tool—especially with Pakistan.
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This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline “Underarm and underhand”
From the December 14th 2024 edition
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