Asia Cup 2018, India, Pakistan
The cricket-loving India, Pakistan couples bowled over in UAE. Credit: Getty Images

While India and Pakistan’s vicious cricket rivalry has been on display in the Asia Cup 2018 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), some families in the country have divided loyalties.

Meanwhile, the UAE is the home to cricket loving cross-border couples from both the countries. They find it easier option than living on the subcontinent, where Pakistanis have trouble getting visas for India, and vice versa.

Cross-border ties have been high ever since the violence and upheaval that accompanied the creation of modern India and Pakistan at the end of British rule in August 1947. One rare high-profile example is Indian tennis player, Sania Mirza and her husband, Pakistani cricketer, Shoaib Malik, who have a home in Dubai.

Indian national, Kasim Vakkil and his wife Ghazala, from Pakistan, are also living in the UAE. Speaking on that, he admitted their marriage was not possible had they were not living in UAE.

India v Pakistan - Asia Cup 2018
Getty Images

My marriage would not have been possible if we were not living in UAE,” Kasim said. “Ghazala is from Lahore and I am from Mumbai but living at this neutral venue made our marriage possible,” he added.

They came together through cricket when Kasim met his future father-in-law at a game between Pakistan and South Africa in the UAE.  Meanwhile, Pakistan having hosting games there owing to the risk of terror attacks on home soil.

I went to watch a match between Pakistan and South Africa in 2014 where I met Ghazala’s father which became the first step towards our proposal,” said Kasim. “I would not have imagined watching Pakistani cricketers like Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq, and Mohammad Amir before my own eyes but it became possible since UAE became a neutral venue for the Pakistan team,” he concluded

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