The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Playing safe is likely to be the mantra

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Friday, Jan 13, 2006

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Playing safe is likely to be the mantra

The neighbours should meet each other once every three years, writes Bishan Singh Bedi

In faith there is enough light for those who want to believe, and enough darkness for those who don't — Blaise Pascal

As another cricket tour of Pakistan is thrust upon us, some of us can feel the reality that excess of anything can only be a bore. The hype of yesteryear is palpably missing — and why not. The novelty of anything in overdose is bound to lose its sheen. Quite characteristically, we Indians and Pakistanis would rather have too much or not at all.

Briefly, if I mention, way back in the late seventies, we were made to tour Pakistan as goodwill ambassadors. Little did we know how hostile it would be to play cricket across the Wagah border.

At Sahiwal, we had to stage a walkout because consistent bouncers way above the head of the batsmen were not called wides. And to think that I had played with most of the Pakistanis in the English county circuit — the goodwill part was thrown out of the window quite shamelessly.

Those were also the days when neutral umpires were still in incubators, so I won't dwell on what all we went through for the then Prime Minister Morarji Desai's idea of making friends with our neighbour.

Improved relations

Subsequently, things improved a great deal. Presently, the India-Pakistan relations are probably the best ever. Even so, too many cricket tours with Pakistan might destroy the thrill of competition. I would recommend a series once in three years to keep alive public interest and anticipation.

As the famous saying goes, familiarity breeds contempt. We don't want to reach that stage, or do we? Already the usual hype and euphoria is missing in the coming India-Pakistan encounters. The BCCI and PCB would do well to take note.

All this is not to suggest that I am entirely against the series. In fact, when India won for the first time ever on Pakistan soil in 2004, my happiness knew no bounds. I also believe the real test of any cricketer worth his salt is an active involvement in an India-Pakistan contest.

There is no better competition of skill and temperament. That is precisely why I am inclined to think the two nations ought to cross swords on the cricket field once in every three years. Remember, absence makes the heart grow fonder.

I have more friends in Lahore than I can claim to have in New Delhi. It is this cherished friendship, away from any political or diplomatic effort, that counts for more. And I really do not wish to barter this fondness for Pakistan for commercial cricket tours. Anyway, now that Dravid and his men are already in Pakistan, we can all wish them the very best.

Amongst cricket's newest experts, the Anglo-Australian Ashes pales in front of an India-Pakistan series. Frankly, that is not the case because Anglo-Australian rivalry is much older.

We need maturity in accepting failure and also a balanced mind in coping with success.

Playing the underdog

As a neutral observer of both India and Pakistan teams, it is difficult to pick a favourite. But the surprising thing is that both teams are willing to play the underdog, at least on the surface, which means both Inzamam and Dravid are likely to play the waiting game until an opportunity arises which needs to be grabbed with alacrity.

Playing safe is likely to be the `mantra' of both teams. An early loss could mean that the series is sealed, as the time available to recover is minimum. Three Tests are too few to give a proper assessment.

My information about the Lahore pitch is not very positive. As I mentioned, safety could be the formula working with the host. A draw appears likely unless one team bats badly in both innings.

In order to make a severe dent in the opposition, one team will have to take an aggressive posture, no matter how placid the playing surface. Both teams have sufficient dry gun powder at their disposal. It only remains to be seen who calls ``attack'' first. — UNI

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