Is Pakistan Ready for India?

Is cricket the sole fire engine? The President has changed his stance thrice. The people of Pakistan appear to be notoriously against India. The press seems to be getting a feeling that India is happy to go to war with Pakistan. Is it then a safe environment to be testing the waters by calling for peaceable measures through sport?

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These are disturbing images coming out of Pakistan. Islamist students were venting their anger by burning the flags of India and the USA. The defiance was led by Asif Ali Zardari, the President of Pakistan, refusing to accept intelligence reports and evidence of the lone surviving terrorist that this attack was planned, prepared and targeted out of Pakistan and refused his earlier statement that Pakistan would cooperate and hand over the list of wanted criminals.

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With trade being put on freeze between the two countries, one wonders how much longer it will be before the same is followed up with cricket. Pakistan, of course, cannot afford either. India may eventually the rest of the world’s overcome the paranoia over security, but Pakistan has faced much hardship convincing that it is a safe play for cricket tours. Subsequently, Pakistan has lost a year’s worth of Test cricket at home and stands to lose another half should India decline.

Given the present deadlock, it is unlikely that India would even accept a neutral venue to accommodate Pakistan’s needs. In that perhaps Pakistan is right in entertaining insurance agencies should the tour be called off. India’s demonstrations so far have been largely rather peaceful with the reiteration that it is not Pakistan itself, but the terror camps within Pakistan that have been a great deal of consternation.

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But one would also have to consider cricket implications should India actually make the tour with the blessings of the government. India is riding high after beating Australia comprehensively in the Border Gavaskar Trophy and further high as the team relishes the prospect of dulling England’s prospects further.

Pakistan would then be perhaps an easy team for the slaughter house. Their team has been largely fragmented in efforts on the field and team building off it. Even though they did beat West Indies in Abu Dhabi, this was a rare sight of seeing the Pakistan team playing in united fashion under Shoaib Mallik who himself has not had an easy time with the crown on his head.

The team itself is severely depleted by the defections to the ICL and should Pakistan be shunned further, their cricket would turn abysmal simply for want of exposure and experience. If Pakistan are willing to host a strong Indian line up knowing they could end up be easy pickings, it only signals the desperation stemming from the prolonged starvation of the sport in the country.