A most intense rivalry

Bob Woolmer - a self-confessed citizen of the world - reveals in The Times what the India-Pakistan series is all about and what it means to the people of both countries:

What impresses me is the lack of antagonism or violence between the supporters. There is no inane chanting as at a football match in England. Large queues have waited patiently for tickets all day in Lahore. Cricket, I think, is the most significant factor in creating a patient outlook on the sub-continent, in spite of matches between India and Pakistan leading to almost unbearable tension. The pressure on both sides is definitely doubled by a huge external force of expectation.

But he did warn that there was a danger of overkill:

Now it is felt that there is too much cricket between them. My own view is that they need to find the correct balance and I believe the way to do that is to mirror the England v Australia Ashes series: in other words, five Tests played every two years home and away respectively.