How Indo-Pak cricket thrived in Musharraf’s rule

Pakistan’s former army ruler Pervez Musharraf, the architect of the Kargil War in 1999, liked his cricket.

Musharraf, who handed away in a Dubai hospital on Sunday, used cricket as a robust diplomatic software to enhance relations between the 2 nations when he led Pakistan first as Chief Executive after which President.

An avid follower of the sport, Musharraf wasted no time in bringing his blue eyed boy, Lt-General Tauqir Zia, as Chairman of the cricket board quickly after his army coup in October 1999.

But in 2003 the second he learnt that Tauqir’s son Junaid had performed for Pakistan, Musharraf requested the PCB Chairman to resign as he noticed the whole episode as a battle of curiosity.

Musharraf then introduced in former profession diplomat and ex overseas secretary, Shaharyar Khan, who had served as ambassador in New Delhi, to move the cricket board.

And few months later, Shaharyar fulfilled Musharraf’s ambition of getting the Indian crew tour Pakistan.
Before Musharraf’s coup, Pakistan had been to India in early 1999 when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was Indian Prime Minister however after that they have been no bilateral exchanges between the 2 nations till 2004.

The Indian crew led by Sourav Ganguly got here in March-April 2004 and it turned out to be a well-known diplomatic success for the army ruler as the highest names from India together with authorities ministers and celebrities have been invited to Pakistan to observe the matches with crimson carpet remedy laid out for them.

The tour was a hit with Musharraf losing no alternative to have picture shoots with the Indian crew and his well-known remarks about MS Dhoni’s hair type grew to become a success in each nations.

His assembly with the Indian crew gamers have been all workouts aimed toward softening relations between the 2 nations and to painting himself as a average and liberal chief.

And the plan labored to a fantastic extent as by no means in a tenure of a Pakistani premier or President did so many Indo-Pak bilateral collection happen than in Musharraf’s tenure.

After the 2004 collection, India got here once more to Pakistan in early 2006 whereas the Pakistan crew additionally toured India for full Test collection first in 2005 after which in 2007 returning to Pakistan in 2008 for the Asia Cup.

Before Musharraf’s time, bilateral excursions between the 2 nations had been far and few with large gaps in between. Pakistan went to India in 1979-80 after a niche of almost 18 years and India got here to Pakistan in 1978/79 for the primary time since 1954/55.

Ironically these excursions within the late 70s additionally occurred through the tenure of one other army dictator, General Zia ul Haq, who additionally used cricket diplomacy to cut back tensions.

Musharraf himself wasted no alternative to point out up at cricket matches even in India when Pakistan was taking part in. In 2005, he turned up on the Feroze Shah Kotla floor to a heat welcome.