"[The demand for Pakistan] as put forth by the Moslem League is un-Islamic and I have not hesitated to call it sinful," said Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, arguably the most stubborn leader in the path of righteousness during India's Independence of 1947, a movement that had its roots in the Great Rebellion of 1857. Gandhi's ever increasing global popularity and cross culture reverence has perhaps become larger than any man of South Asian origin in post ancient history.

From the barrister of Inner Temple in London, to the political symbol of Congress and eventually the spiritual presence in Kirti Mandir, Gandhi's achievements in life exceeded the dreams of mediocre men. But Gandhi was a man of even greater ambition and perhaps died with many unfulfilled desires, largely towards the nation he fathered.

Bapu, who remained devoted to the idealism of undivided India and did not live to experience the long running realism of partition, said:

In actual life, it is impossible to separate us into two nations. We are not two nations.

It seems only natural then, that the hypothesis of a combined sub-continent cricket team has forever caught the fancy of fans from both sides of the border. There is little doubt that a united sub-continent team would have been far stronger and maybe even invincible, at least as it appears on paper. But would cricket in the region have been as richly fuelled with passion as it is today? Probably not!

The spectacle of an India versus Pakistan cricket match is unparalleled, with unrivaled joy of victory and an equal pain in loss. Charged emotions help push human endurance to the limit and give the sport the feel of a crusade across the two countries. Anything other than a defeat is acceptable when these two teams lock horns.

Pakistan has a 12-9 (win – loss) ratio against India in Tests, 72-50 in ODIs and 1-3 in T20 cricket. These numbers indicate a historical edge that Pakistan enjoys over India, but it does not show direction or current form. Like in almost every other sphere of national progression, while India appears to be on an upward slope, Pakistan has been on the wrong side of the graph in the last decade. Pakistan’s recent form has picked up but India is catching up on the head-to-head count and completely dominates Pakistan with an 8-2 lead in ICC events.

By far the most captivating cricket contest, has been on display in only 59 Test matches (including the one encounter during the Asian Test Championship) in the post WW-II period, while England and Australia have played 191 Tests in the same time frame. The ‘inventors’ of cricket have played 20 Test matches with their arch-rivals in the last five years, while Pakistan and India have not battled it out even once. Fans around the world are being robbed of cricket’s ultimate encounter.

Between the daily rounds of Heckler and Koch G3s and Ak-103s at the line of control and the occasional war between India and Pakistan, the two countries have also shared the most memorable cricketing tours on both sides of the border. The crowd hostility during the match is usually preceded by a warm welcome by the general public and the uncivil cricketers on the field appear to be close mates off it. The standing ovations Pakistan received in Chennai and India in Karachi are testaments from recent memory. The increased interaction between the masses and touring fans often make often come back with the realisation that they were in fact cut from the same cloth.

As Gandhi saw his lifelong dream of freedom unfold in front of his eyes, he also witnessed his biggest fear come to life. Independence was accompanied by the largest mass migration in human history of some 10 million people. As many as one million civilians died in the accompanying riots, particularly in west Punjab which was cut in two by the border. Many more have lost their lives since, and continue to do so as the two countries appear to be engaged in covert and tactical warfare at all times.

As the eternal promoter of peace and non-violence, Gandhi went on a hunger strike to stop the bloodshed in the aftermath of independence. Gandhi was assassinated by Nathuram Godse within six months of partition. The far right activist of the Hindu Mahasabha party accused Bapu of partiality towards Pakistan.

Gandhi once said, "You can chain me, you can torture me, you can even destroy this body, but you will never imprison my mind.” And 66 years after his death, ‘Gandhism’ still runs free in the minds of millions of common men. All that the revival of cricket’s fiery rivalry needs are a few extraordinary men in power who are in touch with the spirit and soul of ordinary men.

In the famous words of Nelson Mandela,

Sport has the power to change the world…it has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair. It is more powerful than government in breaking down racial barriers.

Within Pakistan, cricket is perhaps the single most powerful common denominator and still has the capacity to unite a nation that has become divided on countless fronts. And when there is a game against India, they appear to be more unified than ever.

When India and Pakistan play in the ‘real’ curtain raiser of the ICC World Twenty20 on Friday, the two countries will typically come to a standstill, with about 20% of the world's population eyeing the extravaganza in Dhaka, incidentally a city that was first part of British India and then was Pakistan’s largest city until the war of 1971. Bangladesh will celebrate its 43rd year of independence from Pakistan on 25th March, freedom that might not have been possible without the support of India.

The crowd at Sher-e-Bangla will constitute of an interesting blend of people supporting the two countries Bangladesh itself was a part of and both teams find ample passionate local support. The outpouring of this extreme human sentiment epitomises their inseparable affiliation. The fiercest feuds are often between those who are intertwined at their roots and there is no shortage of theatrics or melodrama when kin aspire for the same crown and fight it out for the throne.