Even as tentative diplomatic negotiations flower between India and Pakistan, the Sahara group is outlining an exhibition match on August 15, where a joint India-Pakistan team will battle a Rest of the World XI for the “Peace Cup”.
Abhijit Sarkar, head of communications of the Sahara Group, told the Times News Network that “our full support lies behind the project which would promote the cause of global peace through cricket. Both the sponsors and event managers are now eagerly waiting for a no-objection from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the six players who have been shortlisted for the event.”
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) too must approve the match, since an English ground is the planned venue. The proceeds of the game would aid the widows of soldiers who died during the Kargil war.
A spokesman for the Percept Group, who came up with the concept, said that Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag, Mohammad Kaif, Zaheer Khan and Parthiv Patel had “informally confirmed” their participation. From Pakistan, the organisers will look to seniors like Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Moin Khan, who may not feature in the national team at the time.
“Regarding the Rest of the World team,” the spokesman added, “we have been assured of the availability of Ricky Ponting, Carl Hooper and Andy Flower - all of whom will be in England around that time.”
So asif mian, you suggest we keep the enemosity indefinately?. Let's hold on to the grudges til you grandchildren sort it out?. Aap kia chaahtay hain?.
Funguy - I dont want animosity or any war, but can you imagine taking khairat from people who killed your son/father/brother ? How would you feel in such situations?
Definitely does not make sense... I am all for joint matches and the peace between the two sides, but the theme of this match leaves a bad taste both for Indians and Pakistanis. Indians feel that they were attacked and victimized by Pakistanis, as elaborated by Asif bhai, and Pakistanis feel that they were very close to getting what should have been their's anyways if the UN and popular demands had been met over the course of past half century. However, this is a cricket forum and we shouldn't go too much into the political details. I feel that a better theme for a joint pak/indian match would have been to aid the victims of poverty and starvation in both countries, for instance. To associate cricket matches with wars or politics takes away from the very basic idea of sports.
It's not a bad idea but there would probably be more interest if Pakistan's contingent weren't all past their best and some current stars were involved.
Seems like a project with sincere motives so what's the problem?
KARACHI: A move by a private Indian company to organize a ‘Peace Cup’ match in England involving Indian and Pakistani cricketers in August has fallen through.
The project didn’t get off the ground after the Wales and English Cricket Board (ECB) refused permission to the Indian Company to hold the match in England.
The ECB cited a hectic international and domestic schedule of matches at home for the refusal of permission. And the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chief Executive Rameez Raja said another reason was that the ECB believed that if such a lucrative match was to be organized, why should they not do it themselves instead of giving the right to a third party.
The project was however a shaky one since the Indian board had not given clearance to its leading players like Sourav Ganguly, Virender Sehwag, Muhammad Kaif, Zaheer Khan, Yuvraj Singh, Srinath to play for a joint Indo-Pak team against the World eleven on August 15.
The organizers had also planned to invite Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Shahid Afridi and Moin Khan from Pakistan for the match and had asked Australian Ricky Pointing to lead a World XI side also including West Indians Brian Lara and Carl Hooper.
“The ECB was approached for permission to stage the ‘Peace Cup’ match but they refused permission as such the question of the Pakistan or Indian boards giving its consent for the project never arose,” Rameez said.
The giant Indian company Sahara had agreed to sponsor the match the proceeds of which were to be given to the widows of the Kargil conflict. The organizers had also hoped that the match would serve as a peace initiative between Pakistan and India.
[QUOTE] Originally posted by fair_&_balance: *
I think it is a great gesture by players of both team.People should not live in past.We should beleive in forgive and forget policy.*
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Are you saying both India and Pakistan should resume their international ties by playing a test series?
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by fair_&_balance: *
.We should beleive in forgive and forget policy.
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If u realy think that then dont u think that the money generated from the match should be given to families of Mujahdeen's families who also lost their beloved ones. Now try telling that to indians who are arranging this match.
but they do join them to play for a good cause.