Bomb blast spell doom for India­-Pakistan cricketing ties

India and Pakistan had played 15 Tests in both countries between 1952 and 1961, but after that, the two countries did not play a single Test for more than 17 years, thanks to two wars and a generally hostile environment.

The situation in Kashmir being as volatile as ever, the BCCI's stand has always been that it would like the ICC to make a provision for government clearance in such matters. BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya, on his part, has had meetings with Sports Minister Uma Bharti and other government officials to discuss the vexed issue.

Thus, quite by accident, the Test between India and Pakistan at New Delhi in February 1961 has achieved almost historic status. Given the present pessimistic outlook, the one-day international between the two countries played during the Asia Cup at Dhaka in June 2000 could very well attain the same status as that 1961 Test match.

Despite hectic parleys at the cricket board level, and even government level, there was little indication all along to suggest that the two national teams were any nearer to meeting on the cricket field. The problem was that while officials on both sides took one hesitant step forward, the seemingly insurmountable obstacles governing the matter and the generally inflexible approach on both sides negated that step.

And then tragic events, like Wednesday's bomb blast in Karachi that resulted in New Zealand hastily abandoning their tour, have made it clear that the situation is not as smooth as some cricket administrators portray it. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had pointed out earlier that it was concerned with the break in cricket ties between the two countries, since it affected the International Cricket Council's (ICC's) 10-year programme. PCB chief Tauqir Zia was quoted to have said that his board would not be able to endorse the ICC programme unless India agreed to play Pakistan.

But now New Zealand have packed their bags midway through the tour, a development that closely followed the cancellation of the Australian team's visit to Zimbabwe on account of security concerns, as well as the West Indies­Pakistan series being played at the neutral venue of Sharjah instead of, as scheduled, in Pakistan. Indeed, besides dealing a death blow to the resumption of India­Pakistan cricketing ties, the bomb blast at Karachi has also thrown into disarray the ICC's ambitious schedule .

The ICC programme was drawn up before the earth-shattering events of September 11. Since then, security has been the watchword, and teams have naturally been wary of traveling to places where there is even the slightest risk to life and limb. Commenting on the cancellation of the Australian tour, ICC President Malcolm Gray said at the time that the ICC was "saddened by events in Zimbabwe, which have caused this tour to be abandoned. The game has already lost a recent series in Pakistan, and this latest disruption is regrettable from a cricketing perspective. Having said that, the safety and security of teams, officials and spectators must always remain the priority in judging whether a series or match should go ahead."

The safety of the team was also on the mind of Australian Cricket Board chairman Bob Merriman, who, in broad agreement with Gray, added that "the security of our team is our first priority, and travelling to Zimbabwe would have compromised their safety. This is a decision that the ACB has deliberated on deeply, and it is recognised that it will impact most on the cricket community within Zimbabwe. This is something that is deeply regretted. Nevertheless, the safety of the players and team management must take precedence."

The situation in Kashmir being as volatile as ever, the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI's) stand has always been that it would like the ICC to make a provision for government clearance in such matters. BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya, on his part, has had meetings with Sports Minister Uma Bharti and other government officials to discuss the vexed issue. But nothing concrete emerged from these parleys, what with Bharti considered to be a hawk on the issue. The BCCI chief also discussed the matter a couple of months ago at the ICC Executive Board meeting at Cape Town, but an amicable solution was far from forthcoming.

At the Cape Town meeting, members took a strong view of India's continued refusal to play cricket against Pakistan, threatening severe action if the cricket-specific policy was not changed. Some members wanted harsh punishment imposed on the BCCI for repeatedly refusing to play. According to Dalmiya, England and Wales Cricket Board Chairman Lord Ian MacLaurin raised the point at the meeting and wanted all other countries to sever cricketing ties with India. Apart from England, New Zealand too had reportedly proposed a hefty financial penalty on India. It is hoped that Wednesday's tragic developments will make the ICC members see the issue in a different light.

It is easy to say that politics and sports should not mix, but sometimes the two are inseparable. For example, the Executive Board empowered ICC Chairman Malcolm Gray and Chief Executive Malcolm Speed to meet Indian officials, if need be, in an effort to break the deadlock. But Gray apparently took the view that the ICC could not interfere in government or political decisions.

Under the circumstances, the BCCI impressed upon ICC members to incorporate the force majeure clause in the agreement so that India was not subjected to monetary fines in case the government refused permission. According to Dalmiya, all the countries agreed to the Indian viewpoint, and the force majeure clause was added to the draft agreement.

As things stand, the India­Pakistan cricketing scenario continues to be murky. There are no indications of a thaw in the relations between the two countries, and Wednesday's bomb blast has made the resumption of cricketing ties bleaker than ever.