Pakistan reaches out to India, but will we see a cricket tour soon?


  • English
  • Arabic

Sports and politics have never been a good mix, but in the case of India and Pakistan, it has been impossible to avoid it.
Prior to last week's semi-final between the old foes, the build up in the media was akin to an all-out war, but on the field and in the stadium the atmosphere was refreshingly different.
The fans showed no animosity and the players portrayed the amity which exists between the teams.
__________________

More on the World Cup

. Tip your hat to Anil Kumble for hand in India World Cup triumph
. After huge expectations, India's World Cup celebrations just as big
. It will be hard for Sangakkara's Sri Lanka to stay at the top
. All Cricket World Cup coverage
__________________
After the game, MS Dhoni, the India captain, made a point of acknowledging the Pakistani bowling attack, and Shahid Afridi, his Pakistan counterpart, gained new-found respect with his praise for the Indian team and their fans.
The fans at the stadium at Mohali - particularly those from Pakistan - showed they have more in common than is often portrayed.
Will this goodwill lead to a revival in cricketing ties? The ball is clearly in India's court. After winning the World Cup, it is up to the decision-makers in Indian cricket whether they will lend a hand to Pakistan.
The India Premier League begins this week, but can a domestic league without stars such as Afridi, Umar Gul and Saeed Ajmal really claim to be the world's top Twenty20 competition?
The encounter at Mohali proves that fans on both sides would welcome a bilateral series between the two, the last of which was in 2007 in India. Ijaz Butt, the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman, alluded to such: "It is India's turn to visit Pakistan, as they scrapped cricketing ties earlier, and we would host them either at home or at a neutral venue," he said.
Will India take up this offer, or will politics once again prevail?
sports@thenational.ae