PAK'S INDIA TOUR: CAN WE MATCH PAK'S HOSPITALITY?

BY SAMBIT BAL

During a casual conversation a couple of weeks ago, a senior member of the Indian team revealed his worst fears about Pakistan's upcoming tour of India. It wasn't a rib-cracking and toe-crunching spell from Shoaib Akhtar, a purple patch from Inzamam-ul-Haq, or India's indifferent form this season. "I just hope," he said, "we, as a nation, are able to reciprocate in kind to the manner Indians were treated in Pakistan when they toured last year."

It's a fear palpably felt by every Indian who set his or her foot in Pakistan during those magical days. Like us, he had seen doors and hearts open, he had felt the warmth and goodwill which was too spontaneous to have been a put-on, he had seen the Indian flags flying proudly in the stands, seen pictures of Indian revellers on the streets of Lahore, and like us, he too is left wondering if India can match the grace and the hospitality. Will we see Pakistani flags fluttering in our grounds? Will we see a procession of Pakistani bikers on our streets? Will we able to celebrate the event of cricket, irrespective of who wins?

Perhaps we are expecting the impossible. To expect anything to match the spirit of last February is a tall order. The red carpet from the state and the cricket administration was expected, but the surge of goodwill on the streets, in the shops, at homes, in taxis and restaurants wasn't part of a grand design. It just happened. One thing led to the other. A better explanation of this can be found in Malcolm Gladwell's acclaimed book Tipping Point, which explores the phenomenon of little things making a big difference.

It perhaps took small things ­ a boy painting himself in the national colours of India and Pakistan, someone stitching two flags together, the first few despatches filed by Indian journalists ­ that got the emotions stirring and in no time a spirit of brotherhood had spread across on both sides of the border. It was special, perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime experience. To expect a repeat might be a sure recipe for disappointment. But still, we have a right to expect, for what happened then was wonderful.

What can we read from the signs? A few vandals have tried to damage the pitch at Mohali; the Shiv Sena, the party which was responsible for getting a tour by Pakistan cancelled once, has been making unwelcome noises, and Narendra Modi, the man singularly responsible for giving the state of Gujarat a bad name, has been, expectedly, his usual intemperate self.

Worse, the BCCI, which has the highest stake in the forthcoming series, has taken a strangely blasé approach to scheduling. That Ahmedabad would be a sticking point everyone knew for months. Yet instead of taking a common-sense approach, the BCCI chose the precipitatory option of putting Ahmedabad in the itinerary. It was an amazingly short-sighted move, prompted by immediate expedience. By rotation, it was Ahmedabad's turn, but instead of trying to settle the matter internally, the BCCI chose the softer option. Even now, it is hoping a decision will be forced by the government. That's a strange attitude from a body which misses no opportunity to proclaim its autonomy.

When India toured Pakistan, the BCCI ensured that it got everything it asked for, including a highly contentious clause that empowered it to call off the tour at the first instance of slightest of crowd trouble. Karachi and Peshawar were kept off the Test schedule, and the Indian cricketers received a security cover reserved for heads of state. It is a cynic's argument that the Pakistani cricket authorities allowed themselves to be arm-twisted because the board's solvency depended on that tour. Grace and mutual consideration demanded the BCCI be sensitive to the internal compulsions of the PCB. It is not a time to debate if Ahmedabad is as dangerous a place as Karachi, it is a question of accommodating perceptions and honouring sentiments. By its obtuse handling of the issue, the BCCI has only ended up creating an ugly political controversy.

How does it bode for the series? Has India slipped even before it could get moving? That's a bleak view that does not take into account the power of the human heart. What happened in Pakistan last year wasn't expected. It wasn't planned. It wasn't powered by propaganda. What is needed is a few little lights to kindle a giant flame. Let's invest in hope. It's a better feeling than dread.

Bee Gee's note: Sambit and I have known each other for more than a decade now. For me, cricket is a passion; but for him, an obsession. So, it is hardly surprising that he works as the Editor, Wisden Asia Cricket and Cricinfo India