IN the 1980s, when bilateral cricket between India and Pakistan burned with unmatched intensity, the two nations met not only as rivals on the field but as embodiments of national pride. Series were contested on home soil, featuring five Test matches and a handful of One-Day Internationals, with local umpires presiding over the proceedings. On the 13th of March 1987, at Bangalore’s Chinnaswamy Stadium, Pakistan, led by Imran Khan, faced India in a Test match overseen by umpires RB Gupta and WK Ramaswamy. Pakistan’s spinners, Iqbal Qasim and Tauseef Ahmed, delivered masterly spells, their every appeal for leg-before-wicket or caught behind resounding through the ground. Yet the umpires appeared resolute in their reluctance to dismiss the Indian stalwarts Sunil Gavaskar and Gundappa Viswanath. Despite such apparent partiality, Pakistan prevailed by a narrow margin of sixteen runs and claimed the series by a single victory.

The episode laid bare a troubling truth; when officials from the host nation wield the power of decision, fairness may yield to favouritism. Another Indian umpire, long remembered in cricketing lore as “Umpire Punjabi,” earned notoriety for his readiness to raise the finger against Pakistani batsmen while sparing his countrymen. Such conduct wounds the very soul of sport, breeding resentment among fans and eroding the trust that binds competitors and spectators alike. In time, the outcry........

© Pakistan Observer