Why Wasim Akram’s criticism of Babar-Kohli jersey swap was misplaced

The year is 1931 and 30,000 football fans await an epic encounter between France and England at the Olympique Yves-du-Manoir, 40 km outside of downtown Paris.

Within the initial half-hour, it became unmistakably clear to the spectators that this encounter would be heavily one-sided, as France asserted their dominance right from the outset. The final score, 5-2, not only marked a historic win for France over England, but also resulted in the birth of a new sporting tradition. The first ever jersey swapping took place.

Fast forward to Oct. 14, 2023, Pakistan’s legendary ex-cricketer Wasim Akram criticized the current Pakistani captain, Babar Azam, for exchanging jerseys with Indian superstar Virat Kohli after the World Cup clash between the two rivals. Speaking as a guest on a local TV station, the former fast bowler was quoted as saying: “If your uncle’s son has asked you to get Virat Kohli’s shirt, do it in the dressing room.”

Earlier in the day, India had hosted Pakistan for their group stage Cricket World Cup 2023 match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The capacity crowd at the world’s largest cricket stadium witnessed an intense yet lopsided affair as India cruised to victory with seven wickets in hand. “Today was not the day to do this,” Akram said upon seeing the viral clip of the jersey exchange.

Much like the tense atmosphere that prevailed between France and England in 1931, Pakistan and India find themselves immersed in a state of political polarization. This was particularly evident last month when the Indian cricket team refused to tour Pakistan for their scheduled participation in the Asia Cup. These incidents underscore the delicate nature of the relationship between the two nations, where