Jammu: As India and Pakistan break ice over cricket, with PM Narendra Modi calling his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif on Thursday to wish him luck for the World Cup, at the border, jawans of the Border Security Force (BSF) have also decided to take it to the pitch.
BSF men played a cricket match right at the border fence in RS Pura sector of Jammu, right under Pakistani observation towers on Thursday. But there is neither any hostility nor exchange of gunfire.
“The jawans love cricket besides doing duty on the border, they also play volleyball. We want that India should win the World Cup. Duty and cricket are going on simultaneously here,” said BSF Inspector Madan Lal.
It is the same border that has seen great escalation lately. In the last month alone there have been eight infiltration bids and over a dozen ceasefire violations. But in the times of tension the game is a great stress reliever.
“Our experience is that Pakistan starts the firing on its own, but the game should be looked at as a game only, but if there is firing from the Pakistani side, we will retaliate appropriately”, said Rakesh Kumar, Inspector General, BSF Jammu Range.
There is extreme tension and hostility on the ground at the international border – a game of cricket certainly lightens up the atmosphere and brings in some relief, but at the moment, it is just the BSF who are playing among themselves. One can only hope that the situation improves to the extent that there would be friendly cricket matches at the international border between the BSF and the Pakistani Rangers.
India are the defending World Cup champions. They face Pakistan tomorrow in the first Group Stage match the two countries will play this year. Pakistan has never beaten India in a World Cup match.
