What is a cricket World Cup worth if it does not feature an India-Pakistan game! The two estranged neighbours, separated at birth and divided by religion, have, even if somewhat precariously, been kept together by this marquee cricket rivalry.Since the two nations do not play bilateral series, the only time they play each other is during ICC-organised tournaments, including the Champions Trophy and the one-day and T20 World Cups.When the Pakistan government announced on Sunday that its cricket team would not play against India in the T20 World Cup match scheduled in Colombo, Sri Lanka on February 15, it meant breaking a long chain of revenue-generating historic matches that bring the two nations to a standstill.Even if, of late they have been largely one-sided with India ending up on the winning side, these contests have drawn massive crowds inside the stadium and continued to break television viewership records, with each successive match drawing more viewers than the previous one. All this will come to an end if Pakistan keeps its word and does not buckle under the threat of ICC sanctions that could include banning them from playing international cricket altogether, in addition to a loss of their share from the money made during the tournament.This unfortunate turn of events has been in the making since the last Champions Trophy which was held in Pakistan, when India decided not to play there due to “security concerns”. India’s financial muscle that sustains world cricket’s revenue model meant the ICC, which is again headed by an Indian, agreed to schedule all Indian matches in Dubai.Pakistan protested and buckled almost simultaneously, and India had its wishes fulfilled. All other teams travelled back and forth from Pakistan to Dubai and back, while India remained stationed at one place, like lord and masters of all that they surveyed. Such is the money power of India, that no other teams complained; not even a whimper was heard.In a world that is becoming a cesspool of divisive politics, where social media warriors seem to decide India’s, and by extension, the world body’s cricket policies, more trouble was in store. When hate-driven anti-Bangladesh sentiments started trending on social media with India’s most celebrated film star Shah Rukh Khan being the target for hiring Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rahman for his IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders, the Indian board reacted swiftly: no Bangladeshi player in IPL.When politics influences sporting decisions, matters inevitably become messier. Bangladesh, with its people boiling in violent rage, during which many Hindus were also targeted, retaliated, deciding not to play its World Cup matches in India, instead seeking to play all its matches in Sri Lanka. The ICC, headed by Indian Home Minister Amit Shah’s son Jay Shah, promptly replaced them with Scotland for the tournament itself. Pakistan was the lone voice that supported Bangladesh.The social media warriors declared victory, extremely thrilled and happy that India’s power is so extensive, that even ICC has now become BCCI’s extended office in Dubai. In this messy situation which requires mature, sagacious decision making, the ICC and its members seem happy to let politics from all sides play out openly, unmindful of the damage it will cause to not just cricket but other sports as well.India seems to forget that they have ambitions to host the 2036 Olympics and as a British newspaper The Guardian report of January 30, suggested, that bid could be in danger now. The report by its correspondent Matt Hughes, says that the ‘The IOC (International Olympic Committee) tolerance of political interference is far less than that of ICC, however, with one source saying it is unthinkable that India would be awarded the Games if there was a danger of other countries boycotting as a result.”While this battle of one-upmanship rages in the social media, no one is sure how the Pakistan story will play out.  Victories and defeats in the social media don’t decide the future course of history, sporting or otherwise.