India–Pakistan cricket rivalry

The Partition of British India in 1947 that led to the creation of independent Indian and Pakistani states was characterised by bloody conflict between ethnic groups that left one million people dead and led to the mass-migration of an estimated ten million people to the nation of their choice. The legacy of Partition and subsequent territorial disputes have helped create intense rivalries in field hockey, association football and especially in cricket, which had been developed during British colonial rule and is the most popular sport in both nations.[5]

Pakistan became a member of the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1948,[upper-alpha 1] becoming a Full Member[upper-alpha 2] in July 1952. Their tour of India later the same year saw the team play their first Test matches. They lost the first Test in Delhi to India, but won the second Test in Lucknow, which led to an angry reaction from the home crowd against the Indian players. India clinched the Test series after winning the third Test in Bombay, but the intense pressure affected the players of both teams to the point that they pursued mainly defensive tactics that led to drawn matches and whole series without a victory. When India toured Pakistan in 1955, thousands of Indian fans were granted visas to go to the Pakistani city of Lahore to watch the Test match. But both the 1955 series and Pakistan's tour of India in 1961 ended in a drawn series with no Test yielding a winner or loser. Complaints about the fairness of umpires also became routine.

The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 and subsequent War of 1971 put hold on India–Pakistan cricket that lasted till 1978, when India toured Pakistan and cricket resumed for a brief period. In the post-1971 period, politics became a direct factor in the holding of cricketing events. India has suspended cricketing ties with Pakistan several times following terrorist attacks or other hostilities. The resumption of cricketing ties in 1978 came with the emergence of heads of government in both India and Pakistan who were not directly connected with the 1971 war and coincided with their formal initiatives to normalize bilateral relations. Shortly after a period of belligerency during the Operation Brasstacks war games, Pakistani president Zia-ul-Haq was invited to watch the India–Pakistan test match being played in the Indian city of Jaipur. This form of cricket diplomacy has occurred several times afterwards as well. Pakistan toured India in 1979, but an Indian tour of Pakistan in 1984 was cancelled mid-way due to the assassination of Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

In the late 1980s and for most of the 1990s, India and Pakistan squared-off on neutral venues such as Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates and in Toronto, Canada, where large audiences of expatriates regularly watched them play. The series between the teams in Canada in the 1990s and early 2000s were officially known as the "Friendship Cup". Sharjah even though a neutral venue was considered as the "back yard of Pakistan" given the close proximity and the massive support the team generated.[6]

The rise of multinational competitions such as the Cricket World Cup, ICC T20 World Cup, ICC Champions Trophy, the Austral-Asia Cup and the Asia Cup led to more regular albeit briefer contests.

In 1999, immediately following Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's historic visit to Pakistan, the Pakistani team toured India for Test matches and played in an ODI competition before the Kargil War again put bilateral relations in deep freeze. Prime Minister Vajpayee's peace initiative of 2003 led to India touring Pakistan after a gap of almost 15 years. Subsequent exchange tours were held in 2005 and 2006 before the 2008 Mumbai attacks led to the suspension of India's planned tour of Pakistan in 2009 and all future engagements in Pakistan. India was scheduled to begin the tour of Pakistan from 13 January to 19 February 2009, but was cancelled because of the tension existing between the two countries after the terrorist attacks in Mumbai.[7] India has refused to play series with Pakistan since then.[8]

The rise of domestic terrorism led to Pakistan not hosting international cricket since the Sri Lankan team was attacked in 2009, and Pakistan was stripped of its co-host status for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011. India and Pakistan qualified for the first semi-final in Chandigarh, India, and the Indian government invited the Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to watch the match along with his Indian counterpart, Dr. Manmohan Singh. Bilateral ties finally resumed when BCCI invited the Pakistan national team to tour India for three ODIs and two T20Is in December 2012. The ODIs were held in New Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai with Ahmedabad and Bangalore hosted T20I fixtures.[9]

In June 2014, the Pakistan Cricket Board stated that an agreement to play six bilateral series has been signed with the BCCI during the ICC annual conference in Melbourne.[10] After lengthy negotiations, involving offers and counter-offers on the venues and scheduling of the first of these series in December 2015, the boards were unable to reach an agreement, and the BCCI did not tour for a full series against Pakistan in the UAE, and communications petered out with no result.[11] In May 2017, BCCI secretary Amitabh Choudhary said that the BCCI would need approval from the Indian government before a bilateral series can go ahead.[12] There was no further progress, despite both members of both boards meeting in Dubai to discuss the matter.[13]

As of 12 July 2019

The two sides have played a total of 199 times. Pakistan have won 86 matches compared to India's 70 victories. In Test matches and ODIs Pakistan has won more matches than India, although India has won six of the eight T20 International between the two sides.[upper-alpha 3]

Fifteen Test series have been played between the two sides, as well as a one off Test played in February 1999 as part of the Asian Test Championship. India have hosted eight of the series, with 32 matches played at home as well as the one-off match in 1999. Pakistan have hosted seven series with 26 matches played at home. Each side has four series wins, although Pakistan has won more Test matches than India in matches between the two nations.

The two sides have played a total of 17 ODI series.[upper-alpha 9] Six of these have been played in India, while Pakistan has hosted seven series. Four series have been played in neutral venues, including three in Canada between 1996 and 1998 and one in the United Arab Emirates in 2006. Pakistan have won 11 of the series with India winning five. The two-match series held in the UAE was tied, each team winning one match.

The teams have only played one Twenty20 International series, a two match series played in 2012 as part of Pakistan's tour of India. Each team won one match, leaving the series drawn.

Prior to the Partition of India in 1947 India had played cricket, having first played as an international side in 1932. Following Partition, Pakistan was created and began playing as an independent nation, making their Test match debut in 1952 during a tour of India.

Three players played for Pakistan after appearing for India. They are:

• Amir Elahi – One Test for India against Australia at Sydney in 1947; five Tests for Pakistan against India in 1952
• Gul Mohammad – Eight Tests for India between 1946 and 1955; one Test for Pakistan in 1956
• Abdul Hafeez Kardar – Three Tests for India in 1946; 23 Tests for Pakistan between 1948 and 1958

After Partition, Gul Mohammad continued to play for India until 1955 and played against Pakistan in their first tour of India in 1951–52. Both Amir Elahi and Abdul Hafeez Kardar played for Pakistan on the tour. Abdul Hafeez Kardar went on to play for Pakistan against India during India's first tour of Pakistan in 1954–55.

Hooliganism has occurred on several occasions during India-Pakistan matches.[35]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to India–Pakistan cricket matches.

• Cricket diplomacy
• India–Pakistan field hockey rivalry

Wikimedia Commons has media related to India–Pakistan cricket matches.

• India vs Pakistan – All World Cup and T20 World Cup match results