It's fair to say that the Pakistan vs. India cricket rivalry is the most intense cricket rivalry and one of the biggest sports rivalries ever. Many estimates show that India-Pakistan matches attract up to a billion people in terms of television viewers. The 2011 ICC World Cup semifinal that was played between Pakistan and India attracted up to 988 million viewers from all over the world. How It Began The rivalry between the two neighbors stems from the communal violence and conflict that led to the partition of India and formation of Pakistan back in 1947. It is one of the longest standing rivalries and there seems to be no end to it as the relations between the two countries are severely affected every now and then. The political tension between the two countries is clearly reflected in cricket matches between the two teams as all cricketing activities involving each other are suspended every time there is noticeable tension between the two. Fans from both countries follow the matches between the two sides ball by ball. The most recent example of political tensions affecting the cricketing ties between Pakistan and India is this year's cancellation of the bilateral series that was to be held at the neutral grounds of UAE at the end of 2015. However, the increased tension and a lack of bilateral series have done nothing to reduce the excitement as any encounters in a world-level tournament receive more anticipation and attention than ever. The Way Forward It's very difficult to keep politics out of cricket as both sides are extremely passionate about the game and losing a game is known to incite widespread public hatred among the people of that particular country. So any cricket matches between the two countries depend on good political relations with each other. One way to increase cricket matches between the arch-rivals is to conduct them on neutral grounds. Small tournaments involving other teams as well can also be held at neutral grounds. Many a times, cricket has promoted peace and harmony between the two countries and once again, it can do the same.