M.R. Mishra Lahore, March 11
Cricket fever has gripped Pakistan’s cultural capital with banners and billboards greeting the Indian cricketers who will take on their arch-rivals in the first
One-Day International on Saturday.
The city rolled out the red carpet for the Indian cricketers, most of whom have crossed the border for the first time for a sporting contest to be staged under unprecedented security cover.
The city has greeted the Indians with great warmth and every person — from the customs officer at the swanky Allama Iqbal International
Airport to the bell boy at the hotel is eager to witness the ultimate cricketing rivalry unfold in two days’ time.
Sourav Ganguly and his men, seeking to create history by recording their first ever Test series win on Pakistan soil, got a taste of the passion and emotions surrounding the series minutes after their arrival by a special Indian Airlines flight here yesterday.
As soon as the Indian players emerged from the VVIP lounge following a brief welcome ceremony, hordes of cameramen jostled with one another to capture the momentous occasion, also being billed as a Goodwill Mission.
“It is not often that we get to see the likes of Tendulkar and Dravid in our country. It is good for the game of cricket. There is a lot of interest for the series all over Pakistan and everyone wants to be a part of this historic moment,” Zahid Khan, a travel agent said.
There were many others in this picturesque city who shared Zahid’s views and wanted cricket to bridge the gap between the two nuclear rivals.
“Cricket is a passion in both Pakistan and India. But I can’t understand why we don’t play more often. Now that the Indians have come, we can expect some entertaining cricket,” Nazir, who runs a cyber cafe, said.
The ice-breaking tour, which was almost thrown into jeopardy because of the parliamentary elections in India, was put on track only after Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s go-ahead, putting to an end to weeks of speculation among cricket fans in both countries.
And when the first ball is bowled in front of a capacity crowd in Karachi on Saturday, life is expected to come to a standstill in both the cricket-crazy nations. The local administration in Karachi has already declared a holiday on that day and all the other staging venues are likely to follow suit.
“I will be glued to the television during the series. I have purchased a small TV set so that I can watch the matches sitting at my shop,” a shopkeeper said, reflecting the tremendous interest the series has generated. —
PTI
