It may sound a tad strange but when India and Pakistan do the dance in the 'Ring of Fire,' the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Wednesday, it would be a bit about divided loyalties.
One can expect massive tailbacks heading to the Stadium with the sheer numbers set to be mind-boggling.
The venue can hold 25,000 spectators but one can be sure that it might resemble a concert of your favourite heavy metal band with thousands of fans crammed in and still thousands waiting outside to gate-crash the party.
Such is the magnitude that such a fixture holds, perhaps only rivalled by an Ashes contest between old enemies England and Australia. Hence, while the Rohit Sharma-led India go up against Sarfraz Ahmed's brave new Pakistan, loyalties will be divided not just by fans but yours truly.
Having called the UAE home for exactly a decade, it has coincided with Pakistan making it their 'home' away from home.
That has meant, me, an Indian, has covered more Pakistan cricket than Indian cricket, a rarity. Ever since Pakistan hosted the South Africans in the UAE in 2010-11, I have been a part of every series Pakistan have played here in the UAE.
In this time, Pakistan have played Sri Lanka, England, Australia, New Zealand, the West Indies on more than one occasion.
And I have got to witness some amazing stories and heroic feats by the likes of Pakistan's elder statesman Misbah-ul-Haq, the warhorse Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik, Wahab Riaz, Saeed Ajmal, some of the legends of the game and more recently the young guns like Sarfraz Ahmed, Yasir Shah and Azhar Ali.
One memory that has stood out has clearly been Test captain Misbah's epic against Australia in the 2014 Abu Dhabi Test.
The everygreen Misbah smashed Test cricket's fastest 50 before going on to equal the great Sir Viv Richards' world record of a 56-ball hundred.
Misbah remained not out on 101 from 57 deliveries after he had scored exactly the same in the first innings.
Younis Khan's fighting knocks and Saeed Ajmal and later Yasir Shah foxing batsmen with their spin have been underlying themes here in the UAE.
The only regret has been not watching Misbah matching wits against Virat Kohli in Tests.
Over the course of this journey, I have watched, been a part of and seen first-hand, Pakistan's journey from those dark days of Pakistan's tour of England in 2010 till their rise to the top of the tree in Test cricket. Now, years on, and 12 summers after India last played Pakistan in the UAE in 2006, September 19, will come to be known as a landmark day when these two countries renew hostilities on a cricket pitch in the UAE.
And fans of both sides will be pampered with not just one but possibly three India-Pakistan face-offs in the space of nine days. It should make for a cracking contest in what is a mini-series within the Asia Cup.
And as the first installment bowls out in Dubai on the morrow, even though I'm an Indian and I will be rooting for my team, deep down somewhere in my heart, there would be a cheer for our neighbours.
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