(ICC Credit)

In the heart of the world’s cultural melting pot, New Yorkers are poised to witness an exhilarating moment this Sunday: the inaugural hosting of a World Cup cricket match in a US city, featuring the fierce rivalry between Asian giants, India and Pakistan.

“India-Pakistan is the game everyone would like to watch, and… it’s happening in our backyard,” said Ajith Shetty, president of two local cricket leagues.

“I’m very, very thrilled,” the Indian native told AFP on Friday.

Yet, around 10 miles away from the temporary stadium at Eisenhower Park on Long Island, enthusiasts interviewed amidst the vibrant Little India enclave in Queens expressed their inability to physically attend the match.

“I asked about it, but it’s so expensive. I’ll watch it on my mobile,” 31-year-old Rajeet Krishna said.

“Pakistan against India is special… there’s a long history there,” he said, with the 34,000 seats in the stadium sold out for months.

The inaugural Cricket World Cup hosted in the United States adopts the T20 format, featuring matches lasting approximately three hours, a departure from the prolonged five-day duels characteristic of the traditional test match format.

Resale tickets are commanding a minimum of $800, drawing criticism from Lalit Modi, the founder of the Indian Premier League and its former president, who denounced the inflated prices. He emphasized that the tournament in the US aims at expanding the game and engaging fans, not profiteering from gate receipts. The showdown between India and Pakistan is not only eagerly awaited by their respective communities but also by immigrants from other South Asian nations where cricket holds significant popularity.

“Like lion and tiger” is how Faros Ahmed, a 58-year-old of Bangladeshi origin, described the rivalry.

“Even if I am not Indian, not Pakistani, I am going to watch it because this is a high-voltage match,” said the restaurant manager, who supports Pakistan and will broadcast the game for his customers.

While India and Pakistan both hold considerable cricketing prowess, direct confrontations between the two nations are infrequent. Meetings occur exclusively within official competitions sanctioned by the ICC, the international cricket governing body. The last test match encounter between the two sides dates back to 2007.

“We are going to take revenge, we are going to beat them,” said Roop Sajnani, an Indian native who manages a sari store.

The octogenarian reminisced about his family’s displacement during the 1947 partition, when they were compelled to relocate from what is now Pakistan to India. In Little India, numerous enterprises and eateries are owned and operated by Bangladeshis, a significant portion of whom rally behind Pakistan, the nation from which Bangladesh secured independence in 1971.

“Let’s say we just like to see India lose against all the teams,” said Mostakim Shahed, a 20-year-old student from Bangladesh, with a smile.

“If you look at Asia, yes, India is the best team,” he said. “They are the richest cricket team… they already have support. Whereas Pakistan, they don’t have really support.”

Sunday’s encounter holds immense importance for Pakistan, as they face the looming threat of elimination in the initial round following an unexpected defeat to the United States, a team ranked 18th globally, in Thursday’s match.

New York-based Pakistani journalist Wajahat S. Khan said he had “never been more excited or terrified about a cricket match at the same time.”

“The data doesn’t lie. Pakistan is likely to lose. It’s likely to be a bloodbath. But you can never write off Pakistan’s cricket team. Never.”

The United States’ victory over Pakistan, a team ranked sixth globally, has sparked heightened interest in cricket within the country, despite the sport still residing far from the mainstream.

“All the news channels are talking about it, people are explaining, what is cricket. People are understanding, what is cricket,” Shetty said.

Apart from the tournament, slated to end in late June, the regional cricket organizer is optimistic that it will pave the way for improved infrastructure for players in the New York area. Unfortunately, the Long Island stadium, scheduled for dismantling in July, won’t directly benefit local leagues, leaving them to pursue alternative options for a dedicated arena.