From "The Emirates Evening Post"
Whilst we should perhaps guard against making too strong a claim about the role that cricket has played in the growing political rapprochement between India and Pakistan there is no doubt that the resumption on the field of play has been helpful. The visit of the Pakistan President to New Delhi for the deciding One Day International was both a symbol of the moves towards a permanent peace and an acknowledgement that the shared love of the game of cricket across the two nations can continue to help this process.
The extent of the historic differences between India and Pakistan has understandably cast a long shadow over the cricket pitches for too long. Following the first Test match between the nations in 1952 (Pakistan's first ever Test match) there were regular matches for eight years before the politicians put a stop to cricket for seventeen years. Over those first fifteen Test matches it is possible to detect that the growing political tensions had their affect on play. Whilst the first three matches produced results the next twelve were all drawn - pitches and tactics were such that perhaps neither side could risk the loss of face that losing would have meant with their supporters. After the long gap play resumed again in 1978 when for the first time One Day Internationals were also included in the schedules. Ten years later politics once again intervened and between 1990 and 1998 there was another hiatus with no Test matches and only the occasional One Day International on neutral grounds such as Sharjah or Toronto. Although these matches were often rather tense affairs (and the security officials sometimes had their work cut out keeping the rival spectators apart) the relations between the two teams were generally friendly.
The last India/Pakistan ODI at Sharjah was in March 2000 when, as I recall, Inzamam-ul-Haq had one of his more remarkable days hitting a hundred at better than a run a ball and scoring boundaries all around the ground. The records show that India played Pakistan twenty-four times at Sharjah between 1983 and that last match with Pakistan winning this long "series" easily (by 18 games to 6). It is now two years since the last ODI of any sort at the Sharjah Cricket Ground and there are no prospects for an immediate return of top international cricket to Sharjah. I hope that the long innings of this ground has not drawn to a close - especially as the number of matches is just short of a double century. But whatever happens the CBFS and Sharjah can reflect with pride that when politics prevented India and Pakistan touring each other's countries they kept the cricketing flame alive.
The third politics induced break in regular India v Pakistan matches came after Pakistan's tour to India in 1998/9 but fortunately this was to be the shortest of gaps - let us hope that it is also the last. There is little doubt that India's visit to Pakistan for three Test matches and five ODIs in 2003/4 and the return tour in India, which has just finished, has produced good closely fought cricket. There were positive results in all but one of the six Tests which India edged 3-2, and some sparkling play in the One-Dayers won by Pakistan 7-5. Overall honours even. But more important than what took place on the field was the fact that cricket has been a catalyst for the coming together of both political leaders and the peoples of the two nations.
International conflicts such as that between India andd Pakistan which have endured for generations have only done so because of deep seated problems and antipathies, which it would be wrong to minimise. When I have written before about the role of cricket as a peacemaker in the Sub-continent my postbag has often received heartfelt letters which illustrate how deep the resentments are. There has been so much suffering in the past that to talk of cricket may sometimes seem trivial. But to see the Pakistani president and the Indian Prime Minister together at New Delhi was, I think, a defining moment. Let us hope so.
Finally back to Sharjah. Perhaps it is wishful thinking but it wouldn't it be fitting if the positive role that Sharjah played over the years in India/Pakistan cricket could be recognised with a special "Peace" tournament taking place there once an enduring political reconciliation is signed between the two nations?
The extent of the historic differences between India and Pakistan has understandably cast a long shadow over the cricket pitches for too long. Following the first Test match between the nations in 1952 (Pakistan's first ever Test match) there were regular matches for eight years before the politicians put a stop to cricket for seventeen years. Over those first fifteen Test matches it is possible to detect that the growing political tensions had their affect on play. Whilst the first three matches produced results the next twelve were all drawn - pitches and tactics were such that perhaps neither side could risk the loss of face that losing would have meant with their supporters. After the long gap play resumed again in 1978 when for the first time One Day Internationals were also included in the schedules. Ten years later politics once again intervened and between 1990 and 1998 there was another hiatus with no Test matches and only the occasional One Day International on neutral grounds such as Sharjah or Toronto. Although these matches were often rather tense affairs (and the security officials sometimes had their work cut out keeping the rival spectators apart) the relations between the two teams were generally friendly.
The last India/Pakistan ODI at Sharjah was in March 2000 when, as I recall, Inzamam-ul-Haq had one of his more remarkable days hitting a hundred at better than a run a ball and scoring boundaries all around the ground. The records show that India played Pakistan twenty-four times at Sharjah between 1983 and that last match with Pakistan winning this long "series" easily (by 18 games to 6). It is now two years since the last ODI of any sort at the Sharjah Cricket Ground and there are no prospects for an immediate return of top international cricket to Sharjah. I hope that the long innings of this ground has not drawn to a close - especially as the number of matches is just short of a double century. But whatever happens the CBFS and Sharjah can reflect with pride that when politics prevented India and Pakistan touring each other's countries they kept the cricketing flame alive.
The third politics induced break in regular India v Pakistan matches came after Pakistan's tour to India in 1998/9 but fortunately this was to be the shortest of gaps - let us hope that it is also the last. There is little doubt that India's visit to Pakistan for three Test matches and five ODIs in 2003/4 and the return tour in India, which has just finished, has produced good closely fought cricket. There were positive results in all but one of the six Tests which India edged 3-2, and some sparkling play in the One-Dayers won by Pakistan 7-5. Overall honours even. But more important than what took place on the field was the fact that cricket has been a catalyst for the coming together of both political leaders and the peoples of the two nations.
International conflicts such as that between India andd Pakistan which have endured for generations have only done so because of deep seated problems and antipathies, which it would be wrong to minimise. When I have written before about the role of cricket as a peacemaker in the Sub-continent my postbag has often received heartfelt letters which illustrate how deep the resentments are. There has been so much suffering in the past that to talk of cricket may sometimes seem trivial. But to see the Pakistani president and the Indian Prime Minister together at New Delhi was, I think, a defining moment. Let us hope so.
Finally back to Sharjah. Perhaps it is wishful thinking but it wouldn't it be fitting if the positive role that Sharjah played over the years in India/Pakistan cricket could be recognised with a special "Peace" tournament taking place there once an enduring political reconciliation is signed between the two nations?
