Federal Sports Minister hints at early revival of Indo-Pak cricket

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Pakistan’s Federal Sports Minister, Pir Syed Aftab Hussain Shah Jilani, has hinted at the early resumption of cricket ties with India, announcing that the nation would soon hear the ‘good news’ in this regard.

“The recent meeting between the Prime Ministers of Pakistan and India could break the deadlock and I am quite optimistic that we would have the revival of cricket series very soon,” he told reporters after launching a book on Indo-Pak cricket titled “Cricket Fever” at the Karachi Gymkhana on July 17. 

“Let me assure you that the government of Pakistan is very eager for the resumption of sporting ties but our Indian counterparts have yet not reciprocated in the same manner,” he pointed out.

“Cricket is the most popular game in both the countries and to be it doesn’t make any sense to deny the peoples of watching the two most exciting teams in the cricketing world in action on their own soil. It’s indeed a pity that the Indo-Pak cricket series have been deadlocked in the past as well,” the Federal Minister regretted.

“It is, however, very heartening to note that contacts are being revived in other games and we are hoping cricket’s turn will come sooner than later,” he believed.  

“The Federal Ministry of Sports and the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) have recently allowed a few sporting outfits to travel to India on case to case basis. We hope that our initiatives will be welcomed and the Indian sports authorities will reciprocate with the same spirit of goodwill,” Pir Aftab Jilani hoped. 

“Sometimes we are baffled by the cold response from our Indian counterparts because we understand that the sporting contacts could be very helpful in improving the relations between the two neighbouring countries,” he thought.

Sharing his views on the Indo-Pak cricket matches of the part, Pir Aftab Jilani said he has always been thrilled by watching these games.

A former cricketer himself, he lauded the contribution of sports writers and journalists in preserving the history. 

“Sports writers have made the country proud by producing informative and historic books which reminds us of our glorious past in sporting arena. Cricket Fever authored by Syed Khalid Mahmood is a welcome addition to the quality sports brought out from the country,” the Federal Minister said. 

“The performances of our athletes may have suffered over the years but our authors are doing a service to the nation by recalling their accomplishments of the past,” he commented. 

“Cricket Fever takes me back to those golden years when Pakistan’s cricketers performed exceptionally well to conjure up victories against the heaviest of odds. Pakistan’s performance in the formative years had exceeded expectations as they downed every team they came across in their first-ever series, India included,” the Federal Minister recalled.

“Some of Pakistan’s greatest conquests in cricket have come against India. The innings victory at Lucknow in 1954-55, in only their second Test. Then the series win in 1978-79 when the Indo-Pak cricket resumed after 18 years. Pakistan’s first-ever series win in India in 1986-87 is also fresh in my minds,” he concluded.