Pakistan's trip to India precariously poised (21 December 1998)

21 December 1998

Pakistan's trip to India precariously poised

By Lateef Jafri

Cricket followers and fans cannot but be happy over reports of the likely renewal of Indo-Pakistan confrontation at the Test level on grounds of the neighbouring country. "Likely" because there are usually many imponderables in the way of a visit to India.

It is possible the Foreign Office may take an overall view of the security situation across the border and advise the Sports Ministry and the Federal Sports Board against giving a green signal to such a trip. It is possible the logistics may be deemed too hazardous or the government may consider the arrangements in India as unsatisfatory.

However, the top officials of the cricket boards of the two countries are quite optimistic about reaching a concord on the venues, boarding and lodging as well as the launching of the Asian Test championship. They think that like the Independence Cup of May last year, the Indo-Pakistan schedule can safely be staged much to the delight of the cricket enthusiasts of South Asia. In the searing heat of the Independence Cup, in which Pakistan reached the finals, they were given the attractive settings of Mohali near Chandigarh, Gwalior (now converted into a cricket centre), Chennai in the south and the famous Eden Gardens in the east to play their matches. Many may point out that Toronto had been a regular meeting place for the Sahara Cup tussles but those one-day combats are set in far-off northern America and this year's ties were held as per programme last September. A full tour - Test ties plus limited overs duels - will be a welcome development after a lapse of 11 years.

The February-March 1987 series - the last one to be held in India - was in many respects historic for when it appeared that the battle of attrition will end in a stalemate Pakistan, under the bold and keen leadership of Imran Khan, clinched the 'decider' and the series at Bangalore.

The visiting batsmen made a beeline to the pavilion, failing to read the deceitful flight and turn of Maninder Singh, crashing to what was their lowest-ever total of 116 against India. The spectators at the Chinaswamy Stadium were excited at the prospect of their squad's triumph. There was applause from the enclosures for the Indians' effort. Perhaps Pakistan were down and out. India took a lead, though a marginal one. The visiting spinners, Tauseef and Iqbal Qasim, did not allow the Indian batsmen to take liberties.

Pakistan again did not fare well against the slow stuff sent by Maninder, Shastri and Yadev and only a rearguard action by the lower order pushed the score to 249, giving the Indians a target of 221 for win. A tiny score to be had, said the Indian supporters.

As the wicket was turning from bad to worse Imran saw his hour of triumph coming. A great tactician he applied full pressure on the Indians with a double spin attack of Tauseef and Qasim. Only the experienced warhorse, Gavaskar, batted with comprehensive skill and yet the Pakistani spinners won the day and honours for the visiting squad. Imran's dream of beating India on their own soil had been realised.

India made a return journey two years later for what was a dreary drawn rubber. Since then Pakistan had in 1993 and 1994 tried to undertake a tour of the neighbouring country - it was their turn to have played in India - but the Hindu militants, especially the Shiv Sena, an ally of the ruling BJP party, had been venting threats. In fact the extremists dug up the pitch at Bombay's Wankhede Stadium to disallow any team to make its appearance there.

As news has filtered through the print media that the Pakistan team may be seen in action in the Indian towns Bal Thackeray, the head of Shiv Sena, came out with the statement that he would stick to his resolve even if it meant 'a divorce with its alliance partner'. However, the Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee has promised full protection to the visiting neighbours. No organisation or individual would be allowed to obstruct the Pakistani cricket squad, adding, "the government will see to it that the cricket team from Pakistan during its tour is able to play without hindrances." The Indian cricket board, on its part, said it would drop a fixture at Bombay, which is the stronghold of the Hindu fundamentalists. The dropping of the port city, previously a centre of cricket, would mean a considerable loss in gate money and advertisement revenue but the exchange of visits has to be revived and again Mohali, New Delhi, Kanpur, the southern cities and Calcutta may welcome the visitors from Pakistan with Indore, Baroda or Gwaliar ready to make arrangements for Test or one-day internationals.

The five-day and instant cricket duels may help improve the strained relations between the two States but would also give the chance to the two sets to assess their strength and weakness much before entering the fray in the seventh World Cup in the English summer next year. It is possible the two countries may be able to discover new talent.

Perhaps the administrators of the two countries, as also of Sri Lanka, want a tentative agreement on the Asian Test championship to set an example before the International Cricket Council for a global competition of Test cricket. The latter has yet to thrash out a format, a mode and method of such a championship. According to some English writers, including Wisden's editor Matthew Engel, the points systems may give the fairest result - perhaps in a period of four to five years. But who will wait for such a long time for an ultimate winner? The one-day popularity would supplant the significance of the Tests; the classical five-day battle would sink into oblivion. Only the historians and chroniclers will be talking of and writing about the legendary exploits of the past masters for Test matches will lose their value. Cricket's art and its first principles will wear out and the varieties in bowling will vanish.

An Asian example of Test confrontations, packed in one season, may hopefully awaken the Asian loss of ICC, Jagmohan Dalmiya, to the need of a world five-day contest on the lines of the nascent cricket World Cup. He may perhaps take up the issue with the full and associate members of the international fraternity of cricket for no lover of the game will like the Test matches to be pushed to the background and the money-spinning one-dayers to become the major attraction of modern-day cricket. Dalmiya should see to it that all aspects of the subject are debated at the Lord's annual get-together or earlier than that.

Source :: Dawn (https://dawn.com/)