NEW DELHI, 2 September 2003 — India’s cricket officials said yesterday they were planning to host international matches in insurgency-wrecked Kashmir despite continued violence in the disputed Himalayan valley. “We are seriously considering it,” Jagmohan Dalmiya, president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), said.
“The state government has told me the time is ripe to bring back big cricket to the valley and we may decide to host a Test match or one-day international there in the near future.”
Dalmiya, however, declined to set a time table for staging an international in the Valley, saying “all factors will be taken into account before that.”
No matches have been scheduled in Kashmir during the upcoming Test series against New Zealand and the limited-overs triangular also featuring world champions Australia. Australia and South Africa are due to tour India next year for Tests and one-day internationals.
Kashmir’s summer capital of Srinagar has hosted two one-day internationals so far: Against Clive Lloyd’s West Indies in 1983 and Allan Border’s Australia in 1986. The Indian team, faced with hostile crowds at the Sher-i-Kashmir stadium, lost both matches.
The full-throated support the West Indians received in 1983 prompted Lloyd to wonder if the match had been played in the Caribbean rather than in India.
The last domestic first-class match played in Srinagar was in October 1989, just before insurgency began in the Valley against New Delhi’s rule in India’s sole Muslim-majority state.
Kashmir’s winter capital of Jammu has never hosted a one-day international nor a Test match and has also not held a first-class match since November, 2001. The recently-elected state government has pushed for holding sporting events in the Valley and two golf tournaments featuring the country’s top stars were staged successfully in the last 12 months.
Bangladesh Confident but
Pakistan Eye Series Sweep
Bangladesh captain Khaled Mahmud hopes his side can build on their improved performance at Peshawar for the third and final Test against Pakistan, which starts in Multan tomorrow.
Although mercurial Pakistan will be expected to complete a clean sweep in the series, Bangladesh were heartened by their display in the second Test, where they earned a first-innings lead for the first time in 23 matches. “The Multan Test is very important for us,” Mahmud said yesterday. “We want to overcome the mistakes we made in the first two Tests and play much better cricket here. We will try to be positive.
“We were in the driving seat in Peshawar after two and half days, but then we let ourselves down in the second innings. Shoaib Akhtar also got back his rhythm and clicked for Pakistan. That was the deciding factor between both teams.”
Apart from taking a first-innings lead, Bangladesh also celebrated their highest Test batting partnership — a second-wicket stand of 167 between Habibul Bashar and centurion Javed Omar — plus their first hat trick. Part-time leg spinner Alok Kapali took three for three to leave Pakistan 66 runs behind the touring side’s first innings total of 361, but all that was later undone by Shoaib’s raw pace and reverse swing as the home team regained control.
“They (Bangladesh) have proved worthy opponents,” Pakistan captain Rashid Latif said after the second Test. “They have shown improvement despite their limited resources. In Peshawar, we were lucky that Shoaib Akhtar got into his rhythm at the right time and helped us win the match.”
A bonus for Bangladesh is that Pakistan will be without Shoaib for the final Test in the series, as the fast bowler has rejoined English county Durham. However the home team will be bolstered by the recall of experienced batsman Younis Khan and world-class off spinner Saqlain Mushtaq.
