Who would have imagined that the game that George Bernard Shaw ridiculed,
as 22 flannelled fools being watched by 22,000 flannelled fools, would
become so firmly entrenched in the sub-continent? Of course the flannels
have been replaced by more casual wear but this colonial legacy, cricket,
like the English language, is here to stay. There is no other game that
has grabbed the attention of the South Asian countries as much as cricket.
Sports analysts can talk at length about the damage that it has done to
other sport but it is of no use. Ask any lad who his favorite hero is and
you are sure to get the name of a cricketing icon and most likely it would
be Sachin Tendulkar, and now maybe Irfan Pathan.
Even the Government of India is not above according the Indian cricket
teams, the status of Gods. Recently the laws of the land were revised to
make it possible for Tendulkar to bring his Ferrari into the country,
without paying import duties or taxes for a Homologation test that would
involve testing the roadworthiness of the vehicle in question. Sachin
saved crores of rupees (the taxpayer’s loss) and thanks to him, all future
owners of imported cars need no longer take the Homologation test!
Of all cricket matches, there is nothing to catch the fancy of the Indian
public as much as a match between Pakistan and India. Needless to say, the
same goes for people of that country, seeing the way they came out in huge
numbers to watch all the matches and cheer for both the teams, in the
recently concluded India-Pakistan One Day Internationals held across
cities in Pakistan. The fact that the two countries had not played each
other in Pakistan in 15 years did make a difference to the way that the
first phase of the series was viewed (Jeet lo dil was what it was
called, after Mr. Vajpayee’s exhortation to the Indian team about winning
hearts, in addition to winning matches) but there is no denying the boost
that it gave to Indo-Pak relations. While much has been said about Track 2
diplomacy that has been attempted by way of people-to-people contact,
there is nothing quite like this “Track 3 Diplomacy” that has the peoples
of the two countries begging for more.
Starting from the time that Indians queued up outside the Pakistani
Embassy in New Delhi waiting to get their visas to witness the clash of
the cricketing giants in Pakistan, to Indian Airlines increasing their
flights to accommodate cricket-loving Indians, it has been an amazing
shift in perceptions. Kargil was forgotten; so was Kashmir, and all that
people could think of was cricket!
Needless to say that the Pakistani economy must have got a great boost, as
a result of the huge influx of Indian tourists visiting the country.
Posters of Indian cricketers especially Dravid, Yuvraj, Sachin and Saurav
were snapped up and have gone for reprints! Newspapers and television
interviews are full of details of the mehmaan nawazi (honoring of a
guest) that the Pakistanis are so proud of, and emails are in circulation
about cab drivers, who refuse to accept the fare money the moment they
come to know that the passenger is an Indian. Indian cricket fans said
that they were made to feel at home everywhere and it was almost like
being at home.
After India’s win, there was an official celebration and Indian newspapers
and TV channels warmed the heart with pictures and images of members of
the two teams embracing each other. Some of this bonhomie was visible even
during the matches, when both Pakistani and Indian spectators applauded
good shots from both sides. There was a memorable moment when Shoaib
Akhtar took Rahul Dravid’s wicket at 99, and displayed absolutely no sign
of exuberance after doing so. Rather, he had a wistful expression and
applauded Dravid as he embarked on the sad walk, back to the pavilion.
Despite the fierce competition between the two teams on the field, they
share a good rapport (some even share the same tax consultants!) off it
and that has been visible throughout these five one-day matches.
The oddest piece of news was about the organizers of bets in the two
countries who united to help each other. Since no Indian worth his salt
would be willing to bet on a Pakistani victory and vice versa, the two
sets of betting agents got together and decided to share their spoils and
cut their losses, whatever the outcome of the matches! Stranger things
have happened!
The five one-day matches between the two countries have shown what can be
achieved, if they are at each peace with each other. Agreed that there may
be a hidden animosity at some level, because of cultural and religious
prejudices, passed on from one generation to another about each other’s
practices, but on the whole, it is in the interest of both countries to
promote peace. The winners, of course, will be the two peoples who can
then watch films from both sides of the border (without having to buy
pirated tapes, which is the case with films from India right now), visit
their relatives from across the border, without red tape, and what is most
important, live without the fear of some nuclear warheads going off
resulting in the annihilation of both the countries. Another wonderful
spin-off could be that the money now being pumped into the arms race, can
be better utilized in development projects to help the poorest of the poor
in both countries.
The losers of course will be the Western countries that sell arms to both
Pakistan and India, while making a semblance of talking peace with them.
Their interventions may not be needed when there is cricket and an
understanding of the shared history that no one can take away. As one
cricket lover interviewed at the Wagah border put it, “It does not matter
who wins.” Hum ek the, ek hain aur ek rahenge (We were one, are one
and will continue to be one). Imagine the cricket team that would emerge
if the two countries were to unite, in the manner of the Koreas. They
would certainly be the most unbeatable of world champs in cricketing
history!
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Who would have imagined that the game that George Bernard Shaw ridiculed,
as 22 flannelled fools being watched by 22,000 flannelled fools, would
become so firmly entrenched in the sub-continent? Of course the flannels
have been replaced by more casual wear but this colonial legacy, cricket,
like the English language, is here to stay. There is no other game that
has grabbed the attention of the South Asian countries as much as cricket.
Sports analysts can talk at length about the damage that it has done to
other sport but it is of no use. Ask any lad who his favorite hero is and
you are sure to get the name of a cricketing icon and most likely it would
be Sachin Tendulkar, and now maybe Irfan Pathan.