In 1997, India played a cricket series against Pakistan at the Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club, an unusual blend of sports. Even more unlikely was the name of the trophy: the Friendship Cup. That F word seldom applies to those countries, as Inzamam-ul-Haq proved when he assaulted an Indian spectator who had been shouting “potato” at him through a megaphone.
There has been very little friendship recently. At last year’s women’s World Cup, India were told not to shake hands with Pakistan, echoing the men’s actions at the Asia Cup. Today’s game in the T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka was only confirmed as going ahead on Monday after the Pakistan government ended its boycott (Sky Sports Cricket, 1.30pm).
Pakistan’s record against their neighbour in World Cups, both 50- and 20-over, is woeful. They have won only one of their 15 matches, though that was by 10 wickets in 2021 when they chased 152 inside 18 overs. England have no history with their next opponents, Italy, but still need to win (Tomorrow, Sky Sports Cricket, 9.30am).
From cricket to curling, as they say in Toronto, and Bruce Mouat and Jen Dodds must recover quickly from coming fourth for the second successive Olympics. They should be optimistic: Mouat’s men are double world champions and Dodds was in the women’s side that won a gold four years ago (men’s semi-final, Thursday, 6.05pm; women’s semi-final, Friday, 1.05pm; men’s final, Saturday, 6.05pm, all BBC Two).
Other British Olympic medal chances come in the mixed skeleton (today, 5pm), Kirsty Muir in the freestyle big air event (tomorrow, 6.30pm), Mia Brookes in the snowboarding slopestyle (Tuesday, noon) and Zoe Atkin in the freestyle halfpipe (Saturday, 6.30pm).
Speaking of going downhill rapidly, Tottenham Hotspur have a break from their woes this weekend thanks to being beaten by Aston Villa. The lowest-ranked club left in the Cup are Macclesfield, sixth in National League North, who take on Brentford (tomorrow, TNT Sports 1, 7.30pm). Grimsby Town, of League Two, reached the quarter-finals in 2023 and face struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers (today, TNT Sports 1, 1.30pm).
The Six Nations used to get a break after two rounds. Not this year. The schedule seems rough on Wales, who face the rampant French today (BBC One, 3.10pm) and Scotland six days later (Saturday, BBC One, 4.40pm). England next play Ireland at Twickenham, having won only one of their past six encounters (Saturday, ITV1, 2.10pm). There’s been plenty of politics between those sides in the past but at least we can be certain of a handshake.
Photograph by Matthew Lewis-ICC/ICC via Getty Images
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