21 February 2008

The Dreaded Overdose

Cricinfo reports that the Pakistan cricket board has approached the Indian cricket board for a short three match ODI series in March to fill in for Australia's culled itinery. This news has nearly force me to throw up. The reason is simple, India and Pakistan have matched their abilities on the cricket field far too often, in the near past, for my liking.

Infact, the India-Pakistan cricket history has been as chequered as their diplomatic history. There were regular series' till 1960-61, when India hosted Pakistan to a sleep-inducing bore of a stalemate. Then, for 18 years, there was a lull induced by two wars and diplomatic turmoil. After all the dust of the twin wars had settled, India and Pakistan resumed their cricketing battles. Pakistan had much the better of the exchanges which came to an end in 1989. Despite a false dawn in 1999, it took 15 years for cricketing relations to assume normalcy and with it the pendulum suddenly swung to the other extreme. Blood thirsty foes turned life-long friends, India and Pakistan have played each other every year since 2004. They have played a mindboggling 12 tests and 28 ODIs in this period. If the initial series', both in India and Pakistan, were both ntense affairs, the latter two have threatened a return to the dreaded drawn series' of the mid 1980's.

For a series hyped to be the Asian equivalent of the Ashes, the Indo-Pak series' have sadly lacked the passion of the Ashes'. Even during the nadir of England's cricketing fortunes, the Ashes had a special feeling to it. Unfortunately, the Asian Ashes is threatening to end up as a damp squib. It is great that it is no longer the Kumbh Mela, but nor do you want it to be the cricket viewers Waterloo. Let it be the Asian Ashes.

It is a sincere hope that the imminent South African tour of India results in a rejection of the Pakistan tour idea. But, sadly it looks a forlorn hope as the administrators seem intent on killing the Golden goose - India V/S Pakistan.

3 comments:

John said...

Ya, man.
Can't bear to watch Misbah and Younus Khan again!!

Jrod said...

I think the Aussies will tour, even if it is the quickest tour in the history of cricket.

Gaurav Sethi said...

We'll be Heath Ledgered.