Sports and politics have never been a good mix, but in the case of India and Pakistan, it has been impossible to avoid it.
Prior to last week's semi-final between the old foes, the build up in the media was akin to an all-out war, but on the field and in the stadium the atmosphere was refreshingly different.
The fans showed no animosity and the players portrayed the amity which exists between the teams.
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After the game, MS Dhoni, the India captain, made a point of acknowledging the Pakistani bowling attack, and Shahid Afridi, his Pakistan counterpart, gained new-found respect with his praise for the Indian team and their fans.
The fans at the stadium at Mohali - particularly those from Pakistan - showed they have more in common than is often portrayed.
Will this goodwill lead to a revival in cricketing ties? The ball is clearly in India's court. After winning the World Cup, it is up to the decision-makers in Indian cricket whether they will lend a hand to Pakistan.
The India Premier League begins this week, but can a domestic league without stars such as Afridi, Umar Gul and Saeed Ajmal really claim to be the world's top Twenty20 competition?
The encounter at Mohali proves that fans on both sides would welcome a bilateral series between the two, the last of which was in 2007 in India. Ijaz Butt, the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman, alluded to such: "It is India's turn to visit Pakistan, as they scrapped cricketing ties earlier, and we would host them either at home or at a neutral venue," he said.
Will India take up this offer, or will politics once again prevail?
sports@thenational.ae
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Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
Analysis
Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
TOUR DE FRANCE INFO
Dates: July 1-23
Distance: 3,540km
Stages: 21
Number of teams: 22
Number of riders: 198
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
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Starring: Helen Mirren, Ian McKellen
Directed by: Bill Condon
Three out of five stars
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Is it worth it? We put cheesecake frap to the test.
The verdict from the nutritionists is damning. But does a cheesecake frappuccino taste good enough to merit the indulgence?
My advice is to only go there if you have unusually sweet tooth. I like my puddings, but this was a bit much even for me. The first hit is a winner, but it's downhill, slowly, from there. Each sip is a little less satisfying than the last, and maybe it was just all that sugar, but it isn't long before the rush is replaced by a creeping remorse. And half of the thing is still left.
The caramel version is far superior to the blueberry, too. If someone put a full caramel cheesecake through a liquidiser and scooped out the contents, it would probably taste something like this. Blueberry, on the other hand, has more of an artificial taste. It's like someone has tried to invent this drink in a lab, and while early results were promising, they're still in the testing phase. It isn't terrible, but something isn't quite right either.
So if you want an experience, go for a small, and opt for the caramel. But if you want a cheesecake, it's probably more satisfying, and not quite as unhealthy, to just order the real thing.
SM Town Live is on Friday, April 6 at Autism Rocks Arena, Dubai. Tickets are Dh375 at www.platinumlist.net
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Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
Fifa Club World Cup quarter-final
Esperance de Tunis 0
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The permutations for UAE going to the 2018 World Cup finals
To qualify automatically
UAE must beat Iraq.
Australia must lose in Japan and at home to Thailand, with their losing margins and the UAE's winning margin over Iraq being enough to overturn a goal difference gap of eight.
Saudi Arabia must lose to Japan, with their losing margin and the UAE's winning margin over Iraq being enough to overturn a goal difference gap of eight.
To finish third and go into a play-off with the other third-placed AFC side for a chance to reach the inter-confederation play-off match
UAE must beat Iraq.
Saudi Arabia must lose to Japan, with their losing margin and the UAE's winning margin over Iraq being enough to overturn a goal difference gap of eight.
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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
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