THE word sportsmanship was once spoken with reverence, not as a slogan but as a lived tradition, especially on the playing fields of South Asia. In earlier decades, when tempers between neighbouring states often ran high, sport still retained a rare dignity. Pakistan and India, despite wars, diplomatic breakdowns and enduring political hostility, continued to meet in hockey, cricket and other games under tense circumstances, yet the tension seldom poisoned the spirit of play. Teams travelled to each other’s countries, crowds watched with passion but restraint, and the field itself remained a neutral ground where humanity quietly prevailed over hostility.

Those who witnessed that era still recall small but telling gestures that defined sportsmanship. Fielders tying the shoelaces of an opposing batsman, sharing a laugh after a fierce contest, or applauding a good shot regardless of the flag on the jersey were not seen as acts of weakness. They were expressions of confidence, of a belief that sport was larger than politics. A particularly luminous example occurred on December 22, 1989, during a ODI match between Pakistan and India at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium. Waqar Younis appealed to Indian batsman Srikanth to be given out LBW on an in-swing ball, to which umpire Shakoor Rana raised his finger in the air. Srikanth........

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