SHARJAH (UAE): In the golden sands of Sharjah, under the floodlights that pierce the cool desert night, a cricket field becomes a stage on which more than just a sport unfolds.
It is the place where the rhythmic clapping of leather on willow echoes a message of unity that rises above the complexities of geopolitics. The Chinar Sports Festival, a 45-day cricketing extravaganza, culminated in a finale that not only celebrated the sport but also sent a message of environmental awareness in Jammu and Kashmir across the Line of Control and diplomatic harmony.
“History of cricket diplomacy: When the Indian team arrived in Pakistan on their return journey in 1955, nearly 10,000 Indian fans travelled to the border town of Lahore to watch the Test match. Those who lived in the neighbouring Indian border town of Amritsar were allowed to travel back home every night across the Wagah border.”
The backdrop to this event was not only the grandeur of the stadium but also the profound history of cricket as a diplomatic remedy between India and Pakistan and a beacon of hope for the divided communities of Jammu and Kashmir.
In this bustling emirate, a group of UAE-based cricket enthusiasts and entrepreneurs from Jammu and Kashmir have kept alive the sport’s potential to mend fences and build bridges.
Sharjah, with its tradition of hosting electrifying cricket tournaments, has become a neutral place that transcends the border that divides the Kashmiri community.
The Chinar Sports Festival, named after the majestic tree that characterises the Kashmiri landscape, has become a symbol of ecological and communal harmony. The tree, which releases maximum oxygen and transpiration, is a beacon for protecting species under its large and cool shade.
In the festival’s final, two teams from the diaspora, Afzal Basira and Rajgan Cricket Club, faced each other in a thrilling match. It was not just a match but also a reminder of the common roots of all Kashmiris, irrespective of the borders that divide them.
The festival’s resonance with the Kashmiri community in the UAE is palpable. When the symbolic Chinar trees were planted in the UAE, it was a poignant moment for Kashmiris, reminding them of their homeland.
Raja Asad Khalid, the chairman of the festival, hopes that this sense of belonging and universal love for cricket will foster reconciliation and friendship.
During the final game, in which Afzal Basira won by 26 runs in an electrifying showdown, the significance of the event became clear beyond the scoreboard.
Over a thousand spectators, braving the biting wind in the desert, witnessed not just a game, but a movement. A movement that reflects the views of the former Prime Minister of Pakistan Administered Kashmir, Raja Farooq Haider, who envisions cricket as a unifying force between the divided regions.
He envisioned matches between teams from Srinagar and Muzaffarabad, Baramulla and Rawalakot, and Shopian and Poonch, fostering friendly relations and raising awareness about climate change.
The organisers emphasised that the festival, which is characterised by the camaraderie of the game and celebrating the significance of the Chinar Tree together, is in line with the vision of the UAE leadership.
They said that the philosophy of Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum of public friendship and reconciliation is reflected in every cheer, every run scored, and every tree planted.
History of cricket diplomacy
But this is more than just a local story. The history of India-Pakistan relations is rich with examples of cricket playing the role of the unlikely diplomat. From averting wars to initiating peace talks, cricket encounters between these two nations have often been a front to defuse tensions and promote dialogue.
The history of cricket diplomacy dates back to the period just after the turbulent partition when cricket was seen as a cure for the wounds of partition. It continued for decades and manifested itself in various forms — be it Pakistan President Mohammed Zia ul-Haq’s unexpected visit to a match in Jaipur or Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s historic bus journey to Lahore, which culminated in the Lahore Declaration.
In February 1987, cricket is said to have prevented a war when India held its largest-ever military exercises, dubbed “Operation Brass Tacks”, in the deserts of the western state of Rajasthan, just a few hundred kilometres from the border. In retaliation, Pakistan also moved its armoured divisions to the border.
While the US intervened to defuse tensions, a Pakistani Air Force plane landed at New Delhi airport, and the visitor was none other than Pakistani President Mohammed Zia ul-Haq. He had flown to Delhi on the pretext of watching a Test match between Pakistan and India in the western city of Jaipur. Both countries agreed to withdraw 80,000 troops each and decided to continue the talks.
Behramnam, the well-known adviser to then Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, said in 2015 that Zia had confided in him that Pakistan had a credible nuclear deterrent and would use it if its security was violated.
In May 1998, after tensions between the South Asian rivals escalated over the conduct of nuclear tests, the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif agreed to a proposal by the PCB to allow the cricket team to travel to India. This was the catalyst for Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s visit to Lahore in a bus to revitalise bilateral relations. Both countries signed the Lahore Declaration, which included an agreement on confidence-building measures in the nuclear and conventional military fields.
In 2004, both countries agreed to ease travel restrictions for people taking part in the Indian team’s tour of Pakistan for the first time in 15 years. A year later, Pakistani president, General Parvez Musharraf, came to India to watch a cricket match. However, the trip led to a summit where both sides promised to seize the historic opportunity to address the issue of Jammu and Kashmir and appointed interlocutors to find an unconventional solution.
During the 2011 Indian Cricket World Cup, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh took the opportunity to invite his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani to watch the match with him in Mohali in Punjab province. This eased relations, which were at a low point following the bloody attacks in Mumbai in 2008.
The history of using cricket as a diplomatic tool dates back to 1952, just five years after India and Pakistan gained independence when the worst communal riots and a war broke out over Kashmir. The leaders of both countries felt that the game would restore contact between the people. The Pakistani cricket team came to India in 1952 for a Test match series, which included some players who had played for undivided India.
When the Indian team arrived in Pakistan on their return journey in 1955, nearly 10,000 Indian fans travelled to the border town of Lahore to watch the Test match. Those who lived in the neighbouring Indian border town of Amritsar were allowed to travel back home every night across the Wagah border.
In his memoir, Sunil Gavaskar wrote that during the Indo-Pak war in 1971-72, the Indian and Pakistani players shared the same dressing room in complete bonhomie in the World Cup in Australia.
Bridging the communication gulf
Experts think that cricket, unlike other sports, can inherently be used for socialising.
In the Encyclopaedia of World Sport: From Ancient Times to the Present, authors David Levinson and Karen Christensen argue that the duration of a Test match – seven hours a day, for five days – allows spectators to socialise not only with each other but also with the players.
“There is frequent communication between the outfield players on the sidelines and the spectators, as well as between the players of the opposing teams,” the authors say.
“The structure of the match is such that there are periods of intense excitement, followed by breaks in play that encourage discussion and argument, gossip and chat. All of this helps to build friendships in a way that is not possible in other sports.”
Moreover, cricket is the only sport that can unite the religious, ethnic, tribal, linguistic and class differences in both countries.
Between Politics and Unity
A study conducted by academic Emily Crick at the University of Bristol found that on two occasions Pakistani leaders have used cricket matches to force high-level meetings, while India, in contrast, has used cricket as a form of diplomatic sanction – arguing that cricket cannot be played while Pakistan supports the insurgency in Kashmir.
Varun Sahni, a scholar who writes on nuclear deterrence issues, noted that India has often “securitised” cricket by not allowing bilateral matches. After the hijacking of an Indian Airlines flight to the Afghan city of Kandahar in December 1999, India cancelled its planned trip to Pakistan and withdrew from the Asian Test Championship.
Returning to the match in Sharjah, the official song ‘Chinaroon Kay Des Say Uthi Avaz Hai“, which concluded the Chinar Sports Festival, described the essence of separation and the longing for unity. Written by journalist Shahzad Rathore and sung by Khurram Bhat, its tune expressing the pain of separation and the urge for unity, is a fitting anthem for an event that showcases the unifying power of cricket.
The cricket spectacle was a reminder that the game still has a place in people’s hearts, even if the corporate and hyper-nationalistic facets of modern cricket may overshadow its gentler spirit. It is a reminder that cricket is still a means of meeting, connecting and perhaps healing beyond the boundaries.
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