Indian board overwhelmed by PCB hospitality

Vikram Verma, India's minister for youth affairs and sport, and Jagmohan Dalmiya, the president of the Indian cricket board, have expressed overwhelming satisfaction at the manner in which India's recent tour of Pakistan was conducted. In a letter to their Pakistani counterparts the two were fulsome in their praise.

"At the very outset let me thank you for the courtesies extended to my colleagues and me during our memorable visit to Lahore to witness the fifth and final one-day international at Lahore," wrote Verma to Shaharyar Khan. "I feel overwhelmed by the affectionate feeling and sentiments expressed by citizens of Pakistan for Indians and India.

"I am very much delighted the way you and your officials helped us during our stay and look forward for your support and enthusiasm in strengthening Indo-Pakistan friendship and cooperation in all spheres.

In his turn Dalmiya expressed gratitude to Ramiz Raja, the chief executive officer of the PCB. "Despite the apprehensions of safety and security, the way the Indian team was received in Pakistan was exemplary. Not only did the Indian team receive a great reception in every centre it had visited, thousands of Indian cricket fans and guests who visited Pakistan to witness the matches were also enamored by the feelings of friendship and fraternity expressed by the people of Pakistan.

"It was evident that during the matches, the fans of both the teams sat together in the stands and cheered their respective teams and there was not even a hint of animosity between them. The national flags of India and Pakistan shared a peaceful co-existence. It seems like a fairytale, but it has been a true story of an unprecedented camaraderie, that the world has not seen before." Dalmiya concluded by saying that at the end of the day cricket was clearly the winner.