THE staging of the much-awaited Pakistan-India World T20 game in Dharamsala on March 19 has snowballed into a major crisis amid threats of disruption from Hindu extremists besides stiff opposition from the authorities in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh who have refused to provide security for the match citing a January attack on an Indian army base as the reason.
The Pakistan Cricket Board has asked for security assurances from the Indian government, and the authorities here have reportedly constituted a security team that will be sent to India to assess security measures before the players are given the final go-ahead for participation in the International Cricket Council event.
While diplomatic tensions have prevented a bilateral series between the two archrivals for over three years, the current circumstances have put the onus on the Indian government and the Indian cricket board — BCCI — as hosts of the mega event, to ensure the smooth organisation of the match.
An objective review of Pakistan-India cricket over the past many decades shows that matches held in India are prone to interventions by political and other forces that have jeopardised tours by Pakistan.
In fact, the unease and animosity that surround the matches between the two countries have often overshadowed the significance of the competition itself. These instances have caused resentment among Pakistani players and officials.
Having said that, the PCB’s faltering stance on India’s rather aggressive posture leaves a lot to be desired as well. A constant state of indecision reigns at the PCB on such occasions, something that has justifiably earned the ire of critics and former players in the country.
Believing them to be sufficiently embittered by the events of the past few months, one had expected PCB officials to pre-empt the emerging scenario in India and to unequivocally lay down their terms — before both the ICC and the BCCI — for the team’s participation in the World T20.
Their belated onslaught, therefore, does not guarantee a favourable result at the moment.
Published in Dawn, March 6th, 2016
