Pakistan were the official hosts of the ICC Champions Trophy. There was not a single Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official at the trophy ceremony. Out of the four gentlemen who were on the stage to give away the medals, winners’ jackets and the trophy, three were Indian, including Jay Shah, the current International Cricket Council (ICC) President. An ICC spokesperson has ended the controversy (though this also will be questioned), saying that no PCB official was present in Dubai for the final. The optics were embarrassing. But then, this was just another reminder of the stark contrast in the overall fates of India and Pakistan—two countries that were born together but which travelled very different paths, including, ultimately, on the cricket field. Pakistan’s ultimate fate in the tournament was also, in many ways, a reflection of the overall fate of the two countries. In the almost 78 years since independence, India has established itself as an Asian superpower and a global player, while Pakistan is still riddled with internal conflict with a reported external debt of over $130 billion.