There is something very disquieting and even disgusting to watch sportspersons indulging in venomous theatrics on the playing field to score political brownie points. Over the many decades of watching and reporting on cricket, and that includes many visits to Pakistan, one has been witness to crowds behaving like battlefield warriors, holding on to their national identities with words dipped in hateful poison. Never has one seen players become the crowd and express loyalties in a manner that go beyond the definition of sport and its well-defined code of ethics.

We understand the anger of a nation, we understand that players are not robots and are human just like you and me. They too have feelings and their love for their country is second to none. You can extend this argument to say that

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