Indian-administered Kashmir – It’s always a highly charged affair whenever India and Pakistan play each other in cricket, but in the disputed, conflict-torn region of Kashmir, it’s on another level entirely.
As in the past, Saturday’s ICC Cricket World Cup clash between the two countries, held in the northern Indian city of Ahmedabad, brings risks – as well as some opportunities – to residents in cricket-crazed, Indian-administered Kashmir.
Traditionally, most residents in Kashmir have supported Pakistan in every sport. But in cricket, emotions can especially boil over, sometimes leading to protests.
The locals in the Muslim-majority region justify their outbursts by citing the frustrations and pressures of life under the long-standing conflict, calling it the reflection of Kashmir’s “political reality”.
“When it comes to cricket, people mostly support the Pakistan team,” said Musharraf, an avid cricket fan in north Kashmir’s Baramulla town. “The match’s outcome could mean celebrations or otherwise in the region.”
The main bone of contention in India and Pakistan’s rocky relationship is Kashmir; two of the three wars they’ve fought have been over the region.
Post from www.aljazeera.com