Kalmadi arrives amid speculation
K Varma
Amid expectations of resumption
of cricket ties between India and Pakistan, a sports official
delegation, led by Indian Olympic Association president Suresh
Kalmadi, arrived in Islamabad on Friday to discuss the status of sports
relations between the two countries.
Kalmadi, who is here to attend the meeting of the South
Asian Federtion (SAF) Games Committee, however sought to play
down the hype generated by the possible resumption of cricket
ties and said he would discuss overall improvement of sporting
ties between the two countries.
Kalmadi said the IOA delegation was here primarily to
discuss new dates to hold the stalled SAF Games which have
been postponed twice during the last six months due to
security situation in Pakistan. The SAF Executive meeting
beginning in Islamabad on Friday would decide on the new dates.
Asked about any possible meeting with Pakistan Cricket
Board chief Lt Gen Tauqir Zia, Kalmadi said he had just
arrived in the city this morning and was in the process of
settling down.
When contacted, officials of Gen Zia's office said no
request for any meeting had been made by Indian officials so
far. "But we are hopeful", they said.
Zia himself said in Rawalpindi yesterday that he was open
for talks on resumption of cricket ties with India, but the
Indians would have to take the initiative.
"I have been informed that the Indian Olympic Association
(IOA) President Suresh Kalmadi wants to meet us to hold
discussions on cricket ties," he said. "We welcome these
discussions. And I would like to meet him. But our feeling is
that the Indians should now take the first step towards
resuming cricket ties with us.
"We have always said that Pakistan and India need to play
regular cricket series. And we are happy that Indian officials
want to discuss this with us. It is in the interest of World
and Asia cricket that both countries start playing again
soon."
"I hope that the Indian official meets us with the
approval of the Indian government so that some meaningful
discussions can be held," Zia said.
India have persistently refused to play Pakistan in the
wake of the Kargil war, demanding that Islamabad stop cross-border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.
Subsequently, the annual Sahara Cup bilateral one-day
series in Toronto was cancelled twice in 1999 and 2000 and
India also called off their scheduled tour of Pakistan in
2000-2001. The two countries last played in Asia Cup in Dhaka
in 2000 which Pakistan won by 44 runs.
Mail Cricket Editor
