Written by an avid cricket fan and guest blogger from the British High Commission in Islamabad:
A green cricketing outfield under a clear blue sky, the sound of leather on willow on warm sunny afternoon with a majestic church spire as a backdrop; this can only be a scene from my youthful cricketing days turning out for Wimbledon Village Cricket Club in the leafy Surrey countryside of England.
But wait, something is not quite in tune with this trip down memory lane. Is it the loud blaring music at the end of each over? Is it the Pakistan Army Band playing between innings? Or is it the hundreds of schoolchildren chanting “Pakistan Zindabad, British Army Zindabad?”
It is all of these things, and for those exact reasons everything is right with this new scenario as I am soaking up the incredible atmosphere at the GHQ Cricket Ground in Rawalpindi watching the first game in the series between the Pakistan and British Armies.
The last time these two teams met was in 1939 at the same venue and the ground just oozes cricketing history being the second oldest in South Asia (Calcutta, before you ask) having been established in 1849. Only an hour or so previously I had entered the birthplace of Pakistan cricket through the ‘Grace Gate’ having entered the other set named after Dr W.G Grace, at the home of English Cricket many times, and the last time most recently to watch the Archery at Lord’s during the London 2012 Olympics.
The last time these Pindi gates opened for an English team was in 1987 before the last one day international match to be played at the ground when Imran Khan, Javed Miandad and Abdul Qadir and other legends took on the likes of Gooch, Gatting and Lamb and beat them by 18 runs.
The buzz of the crowd indicates this is more than just 22 soldiers in red and green going into battle in a T20 game; this is something special. The live national and international television coverage by PTV Sports proves this to the watching audience of approximately 15 million viewers.
So what is so special?
Well, this is a form of international cricket back in Pakistan after the horrific terrorist attack in 2009 on the Sri Lankan cricket team and its security detail forced overseas cricket teams to stop touring the country.
And after the Pakistan Army overcame the British Army in the T20 and a 40-over game the Pakistan Cricket Board and Punjab Police took over and did an incredible job in hosting and securing a game at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on 7th Nov 2012.
The Pakistan Cricket Board XI included: Umar Gul, Asad Shafiq, Imran Farhat, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Yasir Arafat and Aizaz Cheema. The team sheet of the British XI was bolstered by Lt Col. Shoaib Malik, Major Azhar Ali and Major Imran Nazir.
Everyone has sporting memories whether it is watching a great, seeing your team play the best they ever have or even watching a family member running a race or excelling in the local park. Me, I was like a primary schoolboy again watching the last session of the day at the Kennington Oval taking lots of blurry photos of cricketing greats and then hanging about afterwards to try to get their autographs.
For me back then, that was a big deal and I wouldn’t have even be able to point out Pakistan on a map, but now I have the pleasure of living and working here, and knowing that no country has given more in the fight against terrorism in the last ten years, I realise that this game is a much bigger deal for me to have experienced.
In May 2012 when the Prime Ministers of the UK and Pakistan met in London, David Cameron pledged his support for a return to international cricket being played in Pakistan and offered to share the UK’s experience in protecting large sporting events.
Maybe this is the start.
I wish to thank the Pakistan Army and the Pakistan Cricket Board, supported by the Islamabad Capital Territories and Punjab Public Forces, for allowing, and making it possible, for the British Army to play four games of cricket in Pakistan, as well as their hospitality, generosity and warmth.
So, what now for closer British and Pakistan cricketing relations; well the Pakistan Physically-Handicapped Cricket Team have returned victorious from their series win against India and in between posing for photos with their trophy, Misbah Ul-Haq, Muhammad Hafeez and Zaka Ashraf they threw down the gauntlet to Alison Blake, the British Deputy High Commissioner who picked it up.
So, Pakistan Cricket Association for Physically Handicapped (PCAPH)… let’s get it on!