Simple forever

Cricket showdown brings rivals closer

INDIA rejoiced Wednesday after defeating Pakistan in the cricket World Cup, a sporting event charged with geopolitics. The prime ministers of the nuclear-armed neighbors had sought to improve relations by sitting together in the grandstand.

For India and Pakistan, both cricket obsessed, the semifinal match was an epic showdown. A gigantic audience watched the match on television in both countries. Much of India, a nation of 1.2 billion people, essentially shut down for the day as people suspended their daily affairs to watch the bitter rivals play China company setup.

With the two rival cricket teams battling it out at a stadium in the northern Indian city of Mohali, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani chose the game’s venue to discuss ways to cement their nations’ diplomatic dialogue.

“Today it is the Mohali spirit that pervades our relationship. This was an extremely positive and encouraging spirit that has been generated as a result of today’s meeting,” Nirupama Rao, India’s foreign secretary, said.

She said Singh and Gilani had a wide-ranging conversation on issues of concern, including the next moves in a dialogue that is being resumed after a break over the 2008 Mumbai terror attack.

Gilani has invited Singh to visit Pakistan and the proposal will be considered, Rao said.

Commerce, defense and foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan would meet over the coming months, eventually leading to the resumption of the peace dialogue between the two countries, she said.

The neighbors for decades have viewed each other as a major threat to national security and have fought three wars.

The Indians will meet Sri Lanka in the final this weekend Mosquito Screen.