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India-Pakistan Cricket Series Marks Detente

Indian cricket fans jostle for tickets for the second Twenty20 cricket match between India and Pakistan in Ahmadabad, India, December 26, 2012.

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Anjana Pasricha

December 27, 2012

NEW DELHI — The resumption of sporting ties between India and Pakistan with a series of cricket matches marks an improvement in bilateral ties between the South Asian rivals. The two countries have taken several steps this year to rebuild ties which suffered a setback after terror strikes in India’s financial hub four years ago.

Cricket historian and author, Boria Majumdar, recalls several cricket matches between India and Pakistan when the cricket field resembled a battlefield.

“Every time India plays Pakistan, automatically the cricket match tends to degenerate into a strength of national superiority. It is not a cricket match, it is actually war minus the shooting,” Majumdar said.

But as the South Asian rivals faced off for their first bilateral cricket series in five years in Bangalore on Tuesday, there was a difference.

The cricket series marks a thaw in the tense relations between the South Asian rivals. That thaw, says cricket historian Boria Majumdar, is evident.

“I see this series being played in a decent environment. I see a sense of camaraderie between the players, players from both sides are friends of mine," noted Majumdar, "I know they like each other. It does promote people-to-people contact, it does promote enjoyment, New Year’s, festive season.”

Indian cricket fans with their faces painted with the colors of the Indian flag, wait to enter the Sardar Patel Stadium, venue of the second Twenty20 cricket match between India and Pakistan, in Ahmadabad, India, December 28, 2012.
Indian cricket fans wave towards a bus carrying Pakistani cricket players, outside the Sardar Patel Stadium, December 28, 2012.
Indian cricket fans wait to enter the Sardar Patel Stadium, December 28, 2012.
Indian cricket fans jostle for tickets for the second Twenty20 cricket match between India and Pakistan in Ahmadabad, India, December 26, 2012.
An Indian cricket fan is joined by others as he waves the Indian flag outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium, the venue of first Twenty20 cricket match between India and Pakistan, in Bangalore, India, December 25, 2012.
Indian security personnel stand guard as the bus transporting members of Indian cricket team arrives Chinnaswamy Stadium, the venue of first Twenty20 cricket match between India and Pakistan, in Bangalore, India, December 25, 2012.
A Pakistan cricket fan, Mohammad Bashir, center, of Chicago, holds a paper which reads 'Please I need one ticket India Pakistan match' as he stands in front of the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore, India, December 24, 2012.
Indian cricket fans react to the camera as they line up to get inside the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore, India, December 25, 2012.
Spectators crowd outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium, the venue of first Twenty20 cricket match between India and Pakistan, in Bangalore, India, December 25, 2012.

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National passion

Cricket is a passion in both countries, and they have been playing each other in international meets. But these are the first bilateral cricket matches being played since India broke off sporting contacts with its neighbor following the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai, mounted by Pakistan-based gunmen.

The resumption of sporting ties comes amid efforts by the South Asian rivals to move ahead with a peace process interrupted by those terror strikes.

The main focus this year has been on boosting trade links. The two countries recently liberalized their visa regime to make it easier for businessmen and other visitors to get travel documents.   India agreed to issue 3,000 visas to Pakistani fans to attend the cricket matches. Earlier this year, India also opened a huge customs depot along the land border in Punjab to facilitate truck traffic.

Both sides hope that improving trade and people-to-people contact will give momentum to the diplomatic process.

Rapprochement

Pakistani High Commissioner to India, Salman Bashir, told a business meeting held in New Delhi last week that both countries should focus on improving ties.

“Working the relationship is something that is extremely important, extremely delicate," Bashir said. "The key thing is to have that clarity of a shared vision. Without that shared vision, we can easily go wrong… so the conviction that good relations is not only in the interest of our two peoples, but also the region.”

However, observers warn that it will take more than improved trade links and cricket matches to bridge the mistrust, which still remains high between the longtime rivals.

Cricket historian Boria Majumdar agrees.

“I also think that people from both countries want to see each other play. It is a very important rivalry," Majumdar said. "Having said that if people think that by playing cricket it will result in an improvement of bilateral relations and an improvement of political relations across the border, that is not going to happen. That is ascribing cricket too much of a potential, which it does not have.”

But for the time being, tens of thousands of excited cricket fans in India are waiting for the next match to be played in Ahmedabad on Friday. Pakistan has won the first match.

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India-Pakistan Cricket Series Marks Detente

<h1>India-Pakistan Cricket Series Marks Detente</h1><img src="http://www.voanews.com/App_Themes/VOA_en-US/img/colorLogo.gif"/>The resumption of sporting ties between India and Pakistan with a series of cricket matches marks an improvement in bilateral ties between the South Asian rivals. The two countries have taken several steps this year to rebuild ties which suffered a setback after terror strikes in India’s financial hub four years ago.   <br /> <br /> Cricket historian and author, Boria Majumdar, recalls several cricket matches between India and Pakistan when the cricket field resembled a battlefield. <br /> <br /> “Every time India plays Pakistan, automatically the cricket match tends to degenerate into a strength of national superiority. It is not a cricket match, it is actually war minus the shooting,” Majumdar said.<br />  <br /> But as the South Asian rivals faced off for their first bilateral cricket series in five years in Bangalore on Tuesday, there was a difference.<br /> <br /> The cricket series marks a thaw in the tense relations between the South Asian rivals. That thaw, says cricket historian Boria Majumdar, is evident. <br /> <br /> “I see this series being played in a decent environment. I see a sense of camaraderie between the players, players from both sides are friends of mine," noted Majumdar, "I know they like each other. It does promote people-to-people contact, it does promote enjoyment, New Year’s, festive season.”<br /> <br /> <div> <div class="htmlPhg"> <ul class="htmlPhgList"> <li class="htmlPhgListItem"><img class="htmlPhgImage" data-src="http://gdb.voanews.com/D591BBD4-34DE-4191-A680-9BE7601AA07E_mwdynamic_mhdynamic_s.jpg" src="/img/spacer.gif" alt="" /><div class="htmlPhgCaption"> <div class="htmlPhgCaptionInner"> Indian cricket fans with their faces painted with the colors of the Indian flag, wait to enter the Sardar Patel Stadium, venue of the second Twenty20 cricket match between India and Pakistan, in Ahmadabad, India, December 28, 2012. </div> </div></li><li class="htmlPhgListItem"><img class="htmlPhgImage" data-src="http://gdb.voanews.com/6A0EC61C-4DDC-414B-A4FE-3875A6A945A7_mwdynamic_mhdynamic_s.jpg" src="/img/spacer.gif" alt="" /><div class="htmlPhgCaption"> <div class="htmlPhgCaptionInner"> Indian cricket fans wave towards a bus carrying Pakistani cricket players, outside the Sardar Patel Stadium, December 28, 2012. </div> </div></li><li class="htmlPhgListItem"><img class="htmlPhgImage" data-src="http://gdb.voanews.com/594BB3BB-0365-4D5E-9738-CC7C3FCFBBC7_mwdynamic_mhdynamic_s.jpg" src="/img/spacer.gif" alt="" /><div class="htmlPhgCaption"> <div class="htmlPhgCaptionInner"> Indian cricket fans wait to enter the Sardar Patel Stadium, December 28, 2012. </div> </div></li><li class="htmlPhgListItem"><img class="htmlPhgImage" data-src="http://gdb.voanews.com/35E75A7A-FCDC-4909-B8BC-66F6450B5E0E_mwdynamic_mhdynamic_s.jpg" src="/img/spacer.gif" alt="" /><div class="htmlPhgCaption"> <div class="htmlPhgCaptionInner"> Indian cricket fans jostle for tickets for the second Twenty20 cricket match between India and Pakistan in Ahmadabad, India, December 26, 2012. </div> </div></li><li class="htmlPhgListItem"><img class="htmlPhgImage" data-src="http://gdb.voanews.com/90E0A16B-904C-4740-AAF1-44D95AECB64B_mwdynamic_mhdynamic_s.jpg" src="/img/spacer.gif" alt="" /><div class="htmlPhgCaption"> <div class="htmlPhgCaptionInner"> An Indian cricket fan is joined by others as he waves the Indian flag outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium, the venue of first Twenty20 cricket match between India and Pakistan, in Bangalore, India, December 25, 2012. </div> </div></li><li class="htmlPhgListItem"><img class="htmlPhgImage" data-src="http://gdb.voanews.com/33ADE5A7-C1F2-4A07-A281-0D289F6D4093_mwdynamic_mhdynamic_s.jpg" src="/img/spacer.gif" alt="" /><div class="htmlPhgCaption"> <div class="htmlPhgCaptionInner"> Indian security personnel stand guard as the bus transporting members of Indian cricket team arrives Chinnaswamy Stadium, the venue of first Twenty20 cricket match between India and Pakistan, in Bangalore, India, December 25, 2012. </div> </div></li><li class="htmlPhgListItem"><img class="htmlPhgImage" data-src="http://gdb.voanews.com/61457DB8-931C-4A82-A7FE-88E01680B641_mwdynamic_mhdynamic_s.jpg" src="/img/spacer.gif" alt="" /><div class="htmlPhgCaption"> <div class="htmlPhgCaptionInner"> A Pakistan cricket fan, Mohammad Bashir, center, of Chicago, holds a paper which reads 'Please I need one ticket India Pakistan match' as he stands in front of the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore, India, December 24, 2012. </div> </div></li><li class="htmlPhgListItem"><img class="htmlPhgImage" data-src="http://gdb.voanews.com/2F320B3C-417F-4DFD-A85E-1BB92BE57DB0_mwdynamic_mhdynamic_s.jpg" src="/img/spacer.gif" alt="" /><div class="htmlPhgCaption"> <div class="htmlPhgCaptionInner"> Indian cricket fans react to the camera as they line up to get inside the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore, India, December 25, 2012. </div> </div></li><li class="htmlPhgListItem"><img class="htmlPhgImage" data-src="http://gdb.voanews.com/31F331C4-7FE2-480E-BEA9-08480E920DD2_mwdynamic_mhdynamic_s.jpg" src="/img/spacer.gif" alt="" /><div class="htmlPhgCaption"> <div class="htmlPhgCaptionInner"> Spectators crowd outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium, the venue of first Twenty20 cricket match between India and Pakistan, in Bangalore, India, December 25, 2012. </div> </div></li> </ul> <div class="htmlPhgFilmstrip"> <a href="javascript:void(0)" class="htmlPhgBtn htmlPhgFilmstripBackward">◀</a> <div class="htmlPhgFilmstripContainer"></div> <a href="javascript:void(0)" class="htmlPhgBtn htmlPhgFilmstripForward">▶</a> </div> <div class="htmlPhgControlPanel"> <div class="htmlPhgControlsLeft"> <span class="htmlPhgControlsSlide"> <a href="javascript:void(0)" class="htmlPhgBtn htmlPhgPrev">⏪</a> <a href="javascript:void(0)" class="htmlPhgBtn htmlPhgPlay">▶</a> <a href="javascript:void(0)" class="htmlPhgBtn htmlPhgPause">||</a> <a href="javascript:void(0)" class="htmlPhgBtn htmlPhgNext">⏩</a> </span> <span class="htmlPhgCount">1/9</span> </div> <div class="htmlPhgControlsRight"> <a href="javascript:void(0)" class="htmlPhgBtn htmlPhgMore">...</a> <a target="_self" href="javascript:void(0)" class="htmlPhgBtn htmlPhgFullscreenBtn">⇱</a> <a 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/*]]>*/ </script></div> <br /> <br /> <strong>National passion </strong><br /> <br /> Cricket is a passion in both countries, and they have been playing each other in international meets. But these are the first bilateral cricket matches being played since India broke off sporting contacts with its neighbor following the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai, mounted by Pakistan-based gunmen.<br /> <br /> The resumption of sporting ties comes amid efforts by the South Asian rivals to move ahead with a peace process interrupted by those terror strikes.<br /> <br /> The main focus this year has been on boosting trade links. The two countries recently liberalized their visa regime to make it easier for businessmen and other visitors to get travel documents.   India agreed to issue 3,000 visas to Pakistani fans to attend the cricket matches. Earlier this year, India also opened a huge customs depot along the land border in Punjab to facilitate truck traffic.<br /> <br /> Both sides hope that improving trade and people-to-people contact will give momentum to the diplomatic process.  <br /> <br /> <strong>Rapprochement</strong><br /> <br /> Pakistani High Commissioner to India, Salman Bashir, told a business meeting held in New Delhi last week that both countries should focus on improving ties.  <br /> <br /> “Working the relationship is something that is extremely important, extremely delicate," Bashir said. "The key thing is to have that clarity of a shared vision. Without that shared vision, we can easily go wrong… so the conviction that good relations is not only in the interest of our two peoples, but also the region.”  <br /> <br /> However, observers warn that it will take more than improved trade links and cricket matches to bridge the mistrust, which still remains high between the longtime rivals.<br /> <br /> Cricket historian Boria Majumdar agrees.<br /> <br /> “I also think that people from both countries want to see each other play. It is a very important rivalry," Majumdar said. "Having said that if people think that by playing cricket it will result in an improvement of bilateral relations and an improvement of political relations across the border, that is not going to happen. That is ascribing cricket too much of a potential, which it does not have.”<br /> <br /> But for the time being, tens of thousands of excited cricket fans in India are waiting for the next match to be played in Ahmedabad on Friday. Pakistan has won the first match.<link rel="canonical" href="http://www.voanews.com/content/new-india-pakistan-cricket-series-marks-thaw-in-relations/1572966.html"/><meta name="syndication-source" content="http://www.voanews.com/content/new-india-pakistan-cricket-series-marks-thaw-in-relations/1572966.html"/><img src="http://livetracker.voanews.eu/counter.lt?PageType=256&RecordId=1572966&SiteId=415&r=1691685040&it=0&pd=20121227112734&url=ArticleID1572966" alt="" style="border:none;" height="1" width="1">

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