Will cricket ease Indo-Pak games?

Can a cricket match actually help build relations between India and Pakistan, or will the Prime Minister's invitation to the Pakistani PM and his delegation translate into no more than an empty gesture, we find out

Will cricket ease Indo-Pak games?

Can a cricket match actually help build relations between India and Pakistan, or will the Prime Minister's invitation to the Pakistaniu00a0PM and his delegation translate into no more than an empty gesture, we find out

As over 40,000 cricket fans cram inside the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali this afternoon, and several others prepare to have their noses pressed up against shop windows of electronic goods' stores in the country, two gentlemen with a privileged view are likely to have things other than cricket on their mind.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani will be engaging in that exercise diplomats like to refer to as "building ties".

"The semi-finals are a great chance for both countries to improve relations. How much they can improve, is difficult to say," says cricket analyst and ex-wicket-keeper for India Nayan Mongia, over the phone from Delhi.

Shailesh Prabhu, game developer and an avid cricket fan, is doubtful about the impact that matches between the two countries can have on diplomatic relations. "There have been several occasions when Indian and Pakistani politicians have watched matches together. It does not affect or change anything," he says.

Indian film actor and politician Shatrughan Sinha who has worked closely towards improving relationships between India and Pakistan is more shocked than amused by the presence of the two prime ministers at the match.

"Is this really cricket?" chuckles Sinha. "I call this not cricket diplomacy, but cricket hypocrisy. Mohali has been turned into a battleground with army men, cops and other security officials swarming the place, all because of the presence of the two prime ministers."

He adds, "The ordinary person on both sides of border has nothing to do with the high-level politics being played out. I'm all for peace between the two countries. But when large issues, including terrorism and 26/11 remain unresolved, what are you proving to the world by meeting at a stadium ground?"

According to Jatin Desai of Pakistan-India People's forum for Peace and Democracy, however such initiatives can go a long way in building relations between the countries. "The gesture by Manmohan Sign has been received very positively by the people of Pakistan, which is going to help in a big way."

Sports Ties

In the 1970s,
an American ping-pong team was invited by China for an all-expense paid visit to the People's Republic. The players were the first group of Americans allowed into China since the Communist takeover in 1949. The same day, the US announced plans to remove a 20-year embargo on trade with China.

In 1987, Pakistan's president, General Zia ul-Haq, attended a test match between India and Pakistan in Jaipur, which is said to have eased tensions between the two countries at the time.

On September 6, 2008, Armenia and Turkey faced each other in a qualification match of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Turkish president Abdullah Gul was invited to watch the match. Talks during the game were said to have focused on bilateral relations.

With inputs by Subhash K Jha and Aviva Dharmaraj