Not quite war

Mike Marqusee writes thoughtfully and informatively on what - and how much - is at stake in the resumption of competitive cricket between India and Pakistan. He concludes on an optimistic note:

[T]he intensity... of this unique sporting rivalry derives as much from the common cricket culture that unites the two countries as from the history that divides them. And the series should be, at least in part, a celebration of that common culture, that enthusiasm for the game which can be found in parks and alleyways, bazaars and colleges on both sides of the border.

As one of an international army of committed neutrals, I'll be following the series as avidly as the most die-hard national partisan. Unburdened by the stress and anxiety of nationalist zeal, I suspect I may enjoy the cricket even more. In the end, though, the only victory worth celebrating will be the kind that both sides share equally

It's the tension, and the balance, between those two things - national, ethnic, regional, local etc identification and partisanship, on the one hand, and love and enjoyment of the game itself and its constituent activities, on the other - that is at the heart of so much sporting culture and enthusiasm. Not everyone would agree with Mike's view that you can enjoy the contest more if you're neutral as between the participants. For many, part of the special thrill of sport comes from the caring about the result. All the same, once this begins to overshadow the more detached appreciation of the game altogether, then something invaluable to the experience has been lost.

On which matter, I'm delighted to see that my boys are back where they belong - Australian batting rules, OK.