Players from India, Pakistan put aside tensions
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/sports/1501950
By MELODY GUTIERREZ
Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle
The two nations are at a standoff over disputed land, but on American soil some of the top cricket players from India and Pakistan greeted each other warmly during a cricket tournament in Houston on Friday.
The national teams from the Asian neighbors have not played each other since April 1999. Syed “Bobby” Refaie, the secretary of the United States of America Cricket Association, said it’s about time to start mending fences.
So Refaie arranged a meeting at the Reliant Astrodome between squads that included prominent players from India and Pakistan.
Two players from each nation competed in the International Double Wicket Cricket Tournament while sharing the same nine fielders, who had been picked from Houston-area players. The 10-team event ends Sunday.
“We wanted to bring these two rivals together on the cricket field,” said Refaie, who is the technical adviser of the tournament. “The U.S. Cricket Association is trying our best to also have an India and Pakistan Friendship Cup. The president of the Indian Cricket Board and the president of the Pakistan Cricket Board need to come forward and play this friendly cricket match and defuse the unnecessary political situation.”
So far, though, the Friendship Cup has not been scheduled.
The last time the two countries met, India beat Pakistan in the Asia Cup final. The two national teams have refused to play since then because of political rivalries.
Recently, India and Pakistan have been disagreeing over ownership of the Kashmir region, and the U.S. State Department has cited a “high level of tension” between the countries in recent advisories to American travelers.
Friday’s match in Houston was won by one of two Pakistan teams, 74-73. Before the match, the players from India and Pakistan shook hands.
“This match proves that India and Pakistan can play a game with no animosity,” Refaie said. “They can play this game at the friendship level.”
India’s Sunil Joshi, 31, said he could have predicted that. Joshi has been playing cricket for India’s national team for eight years and also plays professionally, and said there was no added pressure in playing the Pakistanis Friday.
“It’s always like any other game against any other country,” Joshi said. “From both countries, they have created this pressure. In India and Pakistan, this is a very big game. Any game you play is important. Whenever we play, it is like we need to win. That is the attitude we have when we play against each other.”
India and Pakistan are two of the largest cricket-playing nations in the world. Joshi said cricket players are role models in India because cricket is the country’s biggest sport.
“It’s everything. The name, the fame, the status,” he said.
That’s one reason politics has a hard time staying out of the game. But Joshi said he has no problem separating the two.
“On the field you have to mean business. Off the field you have good friends,” he said. “Whatever the Indian government decides, we have to stand by that. If the government and the (Indian Cricket ) Board told us to play against them, we are prepared to play. We do this because the government of our country always sees the players’ safety first.”
Safety was a concern in Houston, too. Manzoor Memon, an aide to Mayor Lee P. Brown, said backlash against minorities from Asia after Sept. 11 has been a concern. Memon said Houston’s diversity made the city the best place to hold the tournament.
“We have a very strong community from Pakistan and India,” Memon said. “This tournament sends a message that we do not tolerate hate.”
Memon, who was born in Pakistan, said he knows how the political rivalry influences sports.
“Sports should be kept away from politics, particularly for this sport,” Memon said. “There is so much potential and yet so much financial loss. There is a lot of financial loss because these teams aren’t playing each other. Maybe the answer is they just shouldn’t play inside their countries. It’s a good game and they should keep the sportsmanship in it. That’s what is important.”
Joshi still wants to win the tournament, which has a $25,000 first-place prize.
“I am here to win. Winning is everything,” Joshi said. “The money prize is not a question. We need to win. As far as being a professional is concerned, winning is everything.”