Explorer

How Indo-Pak Cricket Thrived In Pervez Musharraf's Rule

Pervez Musharraf himself wasted no opportunity to show up at cricket matches even in India when Pakistan was playing. In 2005, he turned up at the Feroze Shah Kotla ground to a warm welcome. 

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

Musharraf, who passed away in a Dubai hospital on Sunday, used cricket as a strong diplomatic tool to improve relations between the two countries when he led Pakistan first as Chief Executive and then President.

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

But in 2003 the moment he learnt that Tauqir’s son Junaid had played for Pakistan, Musharraf asked the PCB Chairman to resign as he saw the entire episode as a conflict of interest.

Musharraf then brought in former career diplomat and ex foreign secretary, Shaharyar Khan, who had served as ambassador in New Delhi, to head the cricket board.

And few months later, Shaharyar fulfilled Musharraf’s ambition of having the Indian team tour Pakistan.

Before Musharraf’s coup, Pakistan had been to India in early 1999 when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was Indian Prime Minister but after that they were no bilateral exchanges between the two countries until 2004.

The Indian team led by Saurav Ganguly came in March-April 2004 and it turned out to be a famous diplomatic success for the military ruler as the top names from India including government ministers and celebrities were invited to Pakistan to watch the matches with red carpet treatment laid out for them.

The tour was a success with Musharraf wasting no opportunity to have photo shoots with the Indian team and his famous remarks about MS Dhoni’s hair style became a hit in both countries.

His meeting with the Indian team players were all exercises aimed at softening relations between the two countries and to portray himself as a moderate and liberal leader.

And the plan worked to a great extent as never in a tenure of a Pakistani premier or President did so many Indo-Pak bilateral series take place than in Musharraf’s tenure.

After the 2004 series, India came again to Pakistan in early 2006 while the Pakistan team also toured India for full Test series first in 2005 and then in 2007 returning to Pakistan in 2008 for the Asia Cup.

Before Musharraf’s time, bilateral tours between the two countries had been far and few with huge gaps in between. Pakistan went to India in 1979-80 after a gap of nearly 18 years and India came to Pakistan in 1978/79 for the first time since 1954/55.

Ironically these tours in the late 70s also took place during the tenure of another military dictator, General Zia ul Haq, who also used cricket diplomacy to reduce tensions.

Musharraf himself wasted no opportunity to show up at cricket matches even in India when Pakistan was playing. In 2005, he turned up at the Feroze Shah Kotla ground to a warm welcome. 

(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. No editing has been done in the headline or the body by ABP Live.)

View More
Advertisement
Advertisement
25°C
New Delhi
Rain: 100mm
Humidity: 97%
Wind: WNW 47km/h
See Today's Weather
powered by
Accu Weather
Advertisement

Top Headlines

Elections 2024: Maharashtra, Jharkhand Brace For Results Today In Mahayuti Vs MVA, INDIA Vs NDA Battles
Maharashtra, Jharkhand Brace For Poll Results Today In Mahayuti Vs MVA, INDIA Vs NDA Battles
Manipur Crisis: Govt To Deploy 90 More CAPF Companies, 258 Dead In Clashes Since May 2023, Security Advisor Says
Manipur Crisis: Govt To Deploy 90 More CAPF Companies, 258 Dead In Clashes Since May 2023
Delhi Pollution: AQI Drops To 'Severe' Again; Gopal Rai Urges Action Post SC Criticism On GRAP Enforcement
Delhi Pollution: AQI Drops To 'Severe' Again; Gopal Rai Urges Action Post SC Criticism On GRAP Enforcement
Jharkhand Election Results: Hemant Soren To Champai Soren — Battles Of Prestige And Revenge To Watch Out For
Hemant Soren To Champai Soren — Battles Of Families, Prestige & Revenge In J'khand Polls
Advertisement
ABP Premium

Videos

What will happen in the Maharashtra & Jharkhand Election Result 2024? | ABP NewsDelhi News: 'Rewadi Samvad Abhiyan launched' Cabinet Minister Imran Hussain says he will go amidst the publicBreaking News: Big news related to Maharashtra cash scandal | Vinod Tawde | BJP | Congress | ABP NewsUP Bypolls: Akhilesh gets angry as inspector points a pistol at him, makes a big revelation | ABP News

Photo Gallery

Embed widget