KARACHI: Pakistan’s former army ruler Pervez Musharraf, the architect of the Kargil War in 1999, liked his cricket.
Musharraf, who handed away in a Dubai hospital on Sunday, used cricket as a robust diplomatic device to enhance relations between the 2 international locations when he led Pakistan first as Chief Executive after which President.
An avid follower of the sport, Musharraf wasted no time in bringing his blue eyed boy, Lt-General Tauqir Zia, as chairman of the cricket board quickly after his army coup in October 1999.
But in 2003 the second he learnt that Tauqir’s son Junaid had performed for Pakistan, Musharraf requested the PCB chairman to resign as he noticed your complete episode as a battle of curiosity.
Musharraf then introduced in former profession diplomat and ex overseas secretary, Shaharyar Khan, who had served as ambassador in New Delhi, to move the cricket board.
And a couple of months later, Shaharyar fulfilled Musharraf’s ambition of getting the Indian workforce tour Pakistan.
Before Musharraf’s coup, Pakistan had been to India in early 1999 when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was Indian Prime Minister however after that there have been no bilateral exchanges between the 2 international locations till 2004.
The Indian workforce led by Saurav Ganguly got here in March-April 2004 and it turned out to be a well-known diplomatic success for the army ruler as the highest names from India together with authorities ministers and celebrities have been invited to Pakistan to look at the matches with crimson carpet remedy laid out for them.
The tour was a hit with Musharraf losing no alternative to have photograph shoots with the Indian workforce and his well-known remarks about MS Dhoni’s coiffure grew to become successful in each international locations.
His assembly with the Indian workforce gamers have been all workout routines aimed toward softening relations between the 2 international locations and to painting himself as a reasonable and liberal chief.
And the plan labored to an ideal extent as by no means within the tenure of a Pakistani premier or President did so many Indo-Pak bilateral sequence happen than in Musharraf’s tenure.
After the 2004 sequence, India got here once more to Pakistan in early 2006 whereas the Pakistan workforce additionally toured India for full Test sequence first in 2005 after which in 2007 returning to Pakistan in 2008 for the Asia Cup.
Before Musharraf’s time, bilateral excursions between the 2 international locations had been far and few with large gaps in between. Pakistan went to India in 1979-80 after a spot of almost 18 years and India got here to Pakistan in 1978/79 for the primary time since 1954/55.
Ironically these excursions within the late 70s additionally happened throughout the tenure of one other army dictator, General Zia ul Haq, who additionally used cricket diplomacy to cut back tensions.
Musharraf himself wasted no alternative to point out up at cricket matches even in India when Pakistan was taking part in. In 2005, he turned up on the Feroze Shah Kotla floor to a heat welcome.
Musharraf, who handed away in a Dubai hospital on Sunday, used cricket as a robust diplomatic device to enhance relations between the 2 international locations when he led Pakistan first as Chief Executive after which President.
An avid follower of the sport, Musharraf wasted no time in bringing his blue eyed boy, Lt-General Tauqir Zia, as chairman of the cricket board quickly after his army coup in October 1999.
But in 2003 the second he learnt that Tauqir’s son Junaid had performed for Pakistan, Musharraf requested the PCB chairman to resign as he noticed your complete episode as a battle of curiosity.
Musharraf then introduced in former profession diplomat and ex overseas secretary, Shaharyar Khan, who had served as ambassador in New Delhi, to move the cricket board.
And a couple of months later, Shaharyar fulfilled Musharraf’s ambition of getting the Indian workforce tour Pakistan.
Before Musharraf’s coup, Pakistan had been to India in early 1999 when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was Indian Prime Minister however after that there have been no bilateral exchanges between the 2 international locations till 2004.
The Indian workforce led by Saurav Ganguly got here in March-April 2004 and it turned out to be a well-known diplomatic success for the army ruler as the highest names from India together with authorities ministers and celebrities have been invited to Pakistan to look at the matches with crimson carpet remedy laid out for them.
The tour was a hit with Musharraf losing no alternative to have photograph shoots with the Indian workforce and his well-known remarks about MS Dhoni’s coiffure grew to become successful in each international locations.
His assembly with the Indian workforce gamers have been all workout routines aimed toward softening relations between the 2 international locations and to painting himself as a reasonable and liberal chief.
And the plan labored to an ideal extent as by no means within the tenure of a Pakistani premier or President did so many Indo-Pak bilateral sequence happen than in Musharraf’s tenure.
After the 2004 sequence, India got here once more to Pakistan in early 2006 whereas the Pakistan workforce additionally toured India for full Test sequence first in 2005 after which in 2007 returning to Pakistan in 2008 for the Asia Cup.
Before Musharraf’s time, bilateral excursions between the 2 international locations had been far and few with large gaps in between. Pakistan went to India in 1979-80 after a spot of almost 18 years and India got here to Pakistan in 1978/79 for the primary time since 1954/55.
Ironically these excursions within the late 70s additionally happened throughout the tenure of one other army dictator, General Zia ul Haq, who additionally used cricket diplomacy to cut back tensions.
Musharraf himself wasted no alternative to point out up at cricket matches even in India when Pakistan was taking part in. In 2005, he turned up on the Feroze Shah Kotla floor to a heat welcome.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com