Published: Mar 09, 2016, 12:35 PM (IST)
Edited: Mar 09, 2016, 12:35 PM (IST)
The ICC World T20 2016‘s first round has commenced with two matches being witnessed on Tuesday. The real action though will start fromMarch 15, when hosts India take on New Zealand in the second round opener at Nagpur. All eyes however, are set on the March 19 clash between the traditional rivals India and Pakistan. Few things usually match the buzz an India-Pakistan match creates right from the day it is announced. This time around though, the build-up to the biggest box office draw has not been free from controversies.
Dharamsala was declared as the venue for the big match right from the onset. But with increasing political tension between the two countries over the cross-border terrorism and killing of soldiers, which lead to anti-Pakistan protests in the country, team’s participation at the event was under the cloud. Furthermore, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) decided to send a two-member delegation to assess the security conditions ahead of team’s departure to India, which has now recommended a change in venue, putting the match in a limbo.
The recommendation came after the Himachal Pradesh (HP) CM Virbhadra Singh reportedly told them that the government can’t guarantee security to their team. With the deadlock in place, the recent development brings some cheers to the fans, as the iconic Eden Gardens’ name has been doing the rounds as the possible replacement to host the match. If that happens, the fans will be overjoyed; but on the flip side, the Indian team will have a reason to worry.
“Logistically, and from security point of view, Kolkata is the ideal place for the match as they would not have to travel to Dharamshala… It’s feasible from broadcasting point of view as they would not have to the cost for taking the expensive broadcasting kit to another venue,” a BCCI official told PTI.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has shown interest in hosting the game. “The Himachal Pradesh chief minister has not committed full security for the match and the Indian government has also not come up with any assuring statement… Under the prevailing circumstances how can we allow our team to play there?” PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan said yesterday.
This situation has infuriated the HPCA President Anurag Thakur, who is also a member of the opposition of the ruling state government party. In a report from PTI, he lashed out at the Chief Minister, saying, “When the Chief Minister says that the situation is unstable and that there should be no match, it worsens the conditions and a wrong message is sent. I think the state government needs to decide if they are capable of holding the match. After telling the court that they can provide security, he is going back on his words.
A wrong message is being sent to the whole world about India and Himachal. Such a big event is going to happen and nine days ago, he is saying such things.”
Right from their first meeting at the historic venue in 1952, the two teams have played against each other 11 times at the Eden Gardens. Out of these, seven have been Tests while four encounters have been One-Day Internationals (ODIs). India have just managed to beat Pakistan once in a Test, in 2005, when Rahul Dravid’s twin hundreds dominated the game India won by 195 runs. Barring this victory, the hosts have never tasted any success against Pakistan, who clearly have a superior record at the venue.
They have beaten India once in Tests and in all the four ODIs played, while five Tests have ended in no result. Few can forget the epic 1999 Test, where Shoaib Akhtar’s eight wickets in the match and Saeed Anwar’s carry-the-bat effort of 188 not out in the second innings led to a Pakistan win. The match ended on a sour note, with the local police forcefully getting around 65,000 fans out of the stadium after Sachin Tendulkar’s run-out triggered a riot-like situation. The final day of the match was played in front of empty stands, with Pakistan wrapping things up and winning it by 46 runs.
All the four ODIs played in 1987, 1989, 2004 and 2013 have resulted in Pakistan’s wins, stamping their authority on the India-Pakistan clashes at the venue. The two teams are yet to play a T20I at the venue, but with a record worth boasting of, Pakistan will definitely not mind a shift in the venue. After all, it has been nothing but a ‘home venue’ for them so far. And with the never ending mind games and verbal volleys ahead of any such big match — Rohit Sharma has already fired the opening salvo rating Mohammad Amir as a ‘normal’ bowler — they will be happy with the development that gives them a psychological advantage.
