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Multan cricket Test: Pak, Indian teams arrive

          Multan: The Pakistan and Indian teams have arrived here amid tight security to play the first Test match, starting on Sunday. Indian captain Saurav Ganguly may miss the Test against Pakistan because of the lower back injury that he had sustained in Wednesday's fifth one-day international against Pakistan at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium. Vice-captain Rahul Dravid is likely to lead the side in Ganguly's absence.

          Amrit Mathur, the Indian team's media manager, told an international news agency on phone from Lahore on Thursday that Saurav had initially been sent to the wrong doctor for a diagnosis, and that this aberration was corrected. He added that investigations were still going on. Opener Aakash Chopra, leg-spinner Anil Kumble and medium-pacer Ajit Agarkar have joined the squad. Kumble and Agarkar missed the one-dayers due to injury and their return will strengthen an inexperienced bowling attack. India are playing their first Test series in Pakistan since 1989- 90, suspended due to political tensions. The second Test will be played in Lahore (April 5-9) and the third and final Test in Rawalpindi (April 13-17).

Match-fixing rumours hit Pak-India Test ticket sales (Go To Top)

          Islamabad: Pakistan's cricket fans are reported to be showing less interest in buying tickets for the first Test match between India and Pakistan to be played at Multan from March 28 to April 1 owing to rumours of match-fixing. According to the Nation, 1,548 of the total of 26,000 tickets have been sold through two branches of the Alfalah Bank and mobile ticket units. Meanwhile, a local hotel has borrowed the famous chef of Muscat, Amer George, to prepare special Indian vegetarian delicacies for the Indian cricket team and journalists who will stay at the Hotel Holiday Inn. "A special team of the health department will check all the meals before they are served to the Indian team and the Pakistan Cricket Board has supplied a diet menu for the players," said Naeem Mirza, the general manager of Holiday Inn. The Indian team is in Multan for the first time after 22 years.

Indian cricketers hailed as excellent ambassadors (Go To Top)

          Lahore: Indian vice-captain Rahul Dravid and senior players Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman have proved to be excellent ambassadors for their country during their ongoing cricket series against Pakistan in Pakistan. While Dravid has not hesitated in signing autographs for young fans at the Gaddafi Stadium, Tendulkar and Laxman took time out to join Pakistan's efforts for eradicating polio while they were in Rawalpindi for the second match of this five-game series.

          "It is up to the people to decide, we are just trying to do well on the pitch," Dravid was quoted by the Dawn as saying when asked if his team had succeeded in winning the hearts of the Pakistani people. "Let's not allow polio to score even one run,' Tendulkar said. Captain Saurav Ganguly presented a bat signed by all members of his team to President Pervez Musharraf in Islamabad recently acting as their country's ambassadors of goodwill. Again when the Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad Shiv Shanker Menon hosted a reception on March 17, the players freely mingled with Pakistani guests and journalists, allowing photo opportunities to them.

          In Peshawar, some of the players who went shopping to the famous Kissa Khawani Bazar and Saddar, spoke to shopkeepers just as if they were browsing around in India. In Lahore on Tuesday, the cricket players and the home team attended a reception hosted by the Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhary Pervez Illahi at the historic Lahore Fort.

Sahara's celebrity cricket in Sharjah (Go To Top)

           Mumbai: The cricket fever and the easing of relations between India and Pakistan has found yet another platform. This one was a peace initiative in the form of a cricket match held on March 18 in Sharjah between the two nations. It was aptly called the Indo-Pak Celebrities Peace Cricket Match. The event was sponsored and telecast by Sahara India. Suneil Shetty's Popcorn Entertainment and Wizcraft effectively managed this event and attracted a good number of Indian and Pakistani celebrities for this match. The proceeds of this charity cricket match are earmarked as to go to Imran Khan's hospital and to the IFFA Charity Trust in India.

          The cricket match was full of suspense, action and excitement. Indian stars included Suneil Shetty, Sanjay Kapoor, Dino Morea, Sohail Khan, Ritesh Deshmukh, Aftab Shivdasani, Sonu Nigam, Arshad Warsi, Sharad Kapoor and some other well-known faces and names. The Pakistan line up included award-winning actor Humayun Saeed and top Lollywood actresses Reema, Resham, pop group Junoon, and other well-known actors from television and films. "We have so much in common then why should we have any such boundaries. Both the nations have to work together to solve our differences. This is a very positive move and we are very confident that the entertainment fraternity of both nations will carry this message to the peoples of India and Pakistan," said Akashdeep, Creative Head of Sahara's Film and Mega Series Department. Interestingly, it was Salman from Junoon band, who scored a mighty 90 runs. From the Indian side, both Ritesh and Aftab batted extremely well. But unfortunately, Javed Jaffrey had to be taken to the doctor immediately when he broke his nose while batting. Suniel Shetty showed excellent team spirit as he batted for his team even though he had an injury in his thumb.