Pakistan's six-year sojourn in the cricket wilderness is finally coming to an end with the Zimbabwean team touring the country for a five-match series from May 22 to June 1. The strife-torn South Asian country has been ostracised in the international cricket ever since Sri Lanka’s team bus was attacked by gunmen in 2009. The series will help bring cricket back to Pakistan's soil.
In light of the attack, cricketing nations shunned Pakistan, forcing it to play home series in neutral venues, mostly in the United Arab Emirates. India too refused to play owing to the Mumbai terror attack of 2008 and the issues related to playing in the Middle East, which is notorious for bookies.
Once considered a formidable opponent, Pakistan lost its teeth due to the restrictions on playing venues. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) estimates it has lost $120 million in TV rights and overheads.
The team played in empty stadiums without the backing of the home crowd. Prime Minister Nawaz Sheriff's initiatives to end the isolation kept falling flat; whenever any cricketing nation expressed interest for a series in Pakistan, there would be a major terrorist attack and the teams would withdraw.
While India has long-term reservations, major cricketing powers Australia, South Africa, England and New Zealand have said they would not commit themselves to a tour in Pakistan unless the situation changes.
Sri Lanka was more sympathetic under President Mahinda Rajapaksha, who had good working relations with Pakistan. However, Sri Lankan cricketers were reluctant to tour Pakistan.
With the Zimbabwean tour, the cricket-starved Pakistani fans may finally get a reprieve as the country is pulling out all the stops as far as security goes.
Earlier last week, PCB president Shahryar Khan visited Jagmohan Dalmiya, the new president of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), to hold talks on the resumption of cricket ties.
Khan got a sympathetic hearing, but Dalmiya said the final decision will be taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Now that can be a sticky wicket for the neighbour as the NDA government has had an uneasy relation with Pakistan ever since it suspended diplomatic talks after border conflicts erupted last year. In addition, Shiv Sena has threatened to withdraw support to the NDA government if cricketing ties are resumed.
Meanwhile, intelligence inputs do not assure complete security given the volatile situation in Pakistan. Thus, Modi will not only have to take a difficult political decision, but also sell it to his own party and partners.
Modi may opt for a wait-and-watch policy or suggest that Pakistan team should play first in India. Either way, he knows it is a tough call.
Tailpiece: The culture ministry, which had planned to invite Pakistani artistes to perform in India, has kept the proposal in abeyance as the RSS has opposed it.