Cricket the Uniter!

I was in New Delhi, India in September 2007 for the finals of the inaugural Twenty20 (a roughly 3-hour version of cricket, as opposed to the multi-day test matches) World Cup, gathered around the TV in the bar in the basement of the ITC Maurya hotel watching India defeat arch rival Pakistan, celebrating with everyone present long into the night, and the boisterous mood throughout the city for the next several days.

Now Pakistan has won the second Twenty20 World Cup, defeating Sri Lanka mere months after the Sri Lankan team was attacked in Lahore, Pakistan. Pakistan was scheduled to host the 2011 World Cup, but will not due to security concerns. So far the celebrations seem to be enthusiastic and peaceful. Any act or excuse that causes Pakistanis to become closer and see themselves as a united body should help to defeat the Taliban and other extremists. Hopefully this victory can serve as a unifying rallying cry for Pakistani moderates.

(Photo from Telegraph.co.uk)

Cricket, Terrorism, and South Asia

I've said it before, you don't mess with cricket in South Asia. First came the attack on the Sri Lankan national cricket team in Pakistan (which had the Pakistani street pointing fingers in all directions, including India, based on evidence that India's team backed out of the match).

Now India has announced that the second year of the wildly-popular Twenty20-format Indian Premier League will have to be held outside of India because all security forces are needed to protect the five rounds of Indian elections, to be held between April 10 and May 24. The league features the best cricketers from around the world--including Pakistanis (and American-style cheerleaders). The tournament will now take place in either South Africa or England.

Cricket is a matter of national and regional pride in South Asia. Even during times of intense crisis cricket went on, and cricket diplomacy even proved to work when nothing else could. The fact that security threats have forced the popular league out of the country should inspire the people throughout South Asia to turn strongly against the militants who threaten their national pastimes.