Pakistan: Still Reeling from Cricket Terrorism

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Pakistani players apparently snubbed

Today even cricket has abandoned Pakistan and the individual fan can no longer watch his or her national team play at home. Pakistanis wake up to news of suicide bombings, U.S. drone strikes, political clashes, sectarian violence, inflation, sugar crises, power shortages. It's a bleak picture, to say the least. What will unite Pakistanis now?

Cricket terrorism has impacted geopolitics as well, hindering Pakistan's relations with historic rival India. Since Pakistan-based terrorists attacked Mumbai in November 2008, the Indo-Pakistani peace process has stepped back. Tension now appears to have bled into the world of cricket with the perceived snubbing of Pakistani players from the Indian Premier League (IPL), the world's richest, privately run Twenty20 cricket tournament. On Jan. 19, no Pakistani player was bought by the eight Indian clubs during an auction for the third edition of the league, which runs from Mar. 12 to Apr. 25.

The response in Pakistan has been angry. In the past cricket played a role in improving relations between India and Pakistan, which have fought three bloody wars since partition in 1947. Now, Pakistani teams in other sports have threatened to cancel upcoming games against India, effigies of IPL Chief Lalit Modi have been burned in various cities, and Indian politicians have been lambasted. It seems cricket can no longer be used as a diplomatic tool.

contacts via the arts, at least

The term "cricket diplomacy" was coined in 1987, when Pakistani President General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq went to Jaipur, India, for a match at which he met with Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, apparently pulling their countries back from the edge of war over Kashmir. Similarly in 2005, Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf traveled to New Delhi for a match as a guest of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, which was perceived to be a significant step forward in relations between the two countries. But today, and at least for the next few years, cricket diplomacy appears to be exhausted. Although India and Pakistan are expected to resume bilateral talks later this month—for the first time since the Mumbai attacks—both governments will likely carry on verbal skirmishing.

Meanwhile there should be continued focus on other commonalities between India and Pakistan. Consider the arts, for instance: the Jaipur Literary Festival, in its fifth year, has openly supported Pakistani literature. At the Jan. 21-25 event, there were appearances by such notable Pakistani authors as Ali Sethi (Wish Maker, 2009, Hamish Hamilton) and H. M. Naqvi (Home Boy, 2009, Shaye Areheart Books). The leading media houses of India and Pakistan, respectively the Times of India and Jang Group, recently joined forces to report on common cultural ties between the two countries. "Aman ki Asha: Destination Peace," as the initiative is known, will at least help change negative perceptions of "the other" on each side of the border.

What does the future hold for a cricket-starved and terrorism-stricken Pakistan? Potentially there will be more loss of revenue for the business of cricket. Tensions with India will continue to experience ebbs and flows. Longer-term, what will become of Pakistan's identity, already quite fragile, without cricket as a frequent national unifier?

Maha Hosain Aziz is the senior teaching fellow in South Asian Politics at London's School of Oriental & African Studies.

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