India and Pakistan to play each other in Federation Games?

The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has suggested the inclusion of cricket in the South Asian Federation (SAF) Games as part of a move to end the cricketing deadlock between India and Pakistan. "ACC will officially request the South Asian Sports Federation (SASF) to include cricket in the SAF Games, which we think can be stepping stone for the revival of cricket between India and Pakistan," ACC development manager Zakir Hussain Syed told AFP.

India snapped bilateral cricket links with arch rivals Pakistan over political tension in 2000, but recent efforts to normalise relations between the two nations have raised hopes of ties being revived soon. "We are sure that cricket can increase the appeal of the games to a great extent, and besides Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh - the four Test playing nations - Nepal can also chip in," said Syed.

Pakistan announced last week that it would stage the biennial SAF Games in January 2004. The games, scheduled to be held in Islamabad in September 2001, were first cancelled following security fears in the wake of the 9/11 terrorists attacks on the United States and the ensuing war in neighbouring Afghanistan. Later, Pakistan was twice forced to cancel the Games, first in March 2002 and then in March this year, after India refused to participate.

The SAF Games events include athletics, badminton, boxing, football, volleyball, weightlifting, taekwondo, karate, table tennis, wrestling, shooting and swimming. Hockey was included on expiremental basis in the Games held in India in 1995.

"Cricket can have more representation in the Games and even a fledgling nation like Afghanistan can participate in it," said Syed. The Games were initiated in 1984 under the auspices of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), and are contested by India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Nepal. Afghanistan was also included in the SAF Games fold last year. The last edition of the Games were held in Nepal in 1999.