Whose game is Kapil playing? (12 July 1999)

12 July 1999

Whose game is Kapil playing?

Mazhar Abbas

Pakistan skipper Wasim Akram was right in advising the former Indian skipper Kapil Dev to keep politics out of sports and not talk about severing cricket relations between Pakistan and India, which were restored in January this year when Pakistan visited India for a two-test series.

Former Indian skipper Kapil Dev and star batsman Sachin Tendulkar in a surprising statement called for cancellation to Sahara Cup in Toronto, because of the situation in occupied Kashmir and "killings of Indian soldiers". In fact the fixture has already been cancelled.

Cricket relations between the two countries remained suspended for almost ten years owing to strains of hostility which were resumed when Pakistan team toured India for a two test series, Asian test championship and triangular contest despite Shiv Sena's Jingoism and Bal Thackeray's threats. Their lunatic stance was opposed by the saner Indian politicians, intellectuals and cricketers.

Pakistan went to India even after the Indian militants damaged the pitch prepared for the first test at Ferozshah Kotla ground in Delhi signifying the security risks involved. Their bold initiative paid off, internal political pressures notwithstanding. The situation was adroitly handled by Shaharyar Khan, a senior and seasoned diplomat cum sportsman who was sent as team manager just to ensure a tension free series.

Even the Indian Prime Minister Attal Bihari Vajpayee while defending the Pakistan team's visit issued a hard hitting statement against Shiv Sena and stated, "I ask them whose game are they playing by trying to disrupt the cricket series, they are playing someone's game. There should be no disruption in the field of cricket."

Only a month back on the eve of Pakistan-India match during the World Cup, the Indian skipper and manager as well Pakistani cricketers issued positive statements for defusing tension. Mr Bhim Virmani, Chairman of Manchester's Indian Association stated that the Indians and Pakistanis walk the same street, spend their money in the same shops. I don't think there would be any trouble in the match.

Pakistan and Indian supporters never clashed in Sharjah nor in Toronto. There were only few occasions when the crowds disrupted the play during matches played in India or in Pakistan.

The Pakistan-India matches always draw capacity crowds whether they play on their own soil or at neutral venues. It shows that sports and politics are two different things and sportsmen are the ambassadors of peace. In the last two years the two cricketing nations had come closer to each other. Pakistan went to India to participate in its Independence Day celebrations while India came to Pakistan for its golden jubilee. India visited Pakistan in 1982-83 while Pakistan went to India in 1989. Both these series were highly successful from cricketing angle as well as commercial point of view.

Pakistani people enjoyed watching Sachin, Dravid and Ganguly's batting while Indian crowd gave a standing ovation after Pakistan won the first test of the series in January, 1999 at Chennai. Even during the Independence Cup, Saeed Anwar was given the same kind of reception when he scored 194.

Political relations have always remained tense between the arch rivals over the last 51 years old dispute particularly on account of Kashmir. The role of the sportsmen to defuse the tension and act as a bridge of friendship the Indian and Pakistani cricketers have had excellent relationship. Strangely and all of a sudden Kapil and Sachin struck a discordant note issuing statements to sever cricket relations restored after a decade. One is tempted to ask them "whose game are they playing?"

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