When India and Pakistan Teamed Up to Change Cricket

Two men from countries that had fought wars sat down over biryani in 1983 and changed cricket forever. One was a politician who'd served during the Indo-Pak war, the other was the air force commander who fought against him.

NKP Salve from India and Nur Khan from Pakistan were cricket board chiefs with every reason to be rivals. Instead, they became allies with a common mission: break cricket free from English and Australian control.

The spark came from frustration. After India won the 1983 World Cup at Lord's, England refused Salve even two passes for guests. Khan sympathized, then asked a question that changed everything: "Why can't we play the next World Cup in our countries?"

By 1984, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka won the joint bid. They offered each ICC member £200,000, four times what England proposed, and asked for nothing in return. The Anglo-Aussie establishment couldn't resist.

The 1987 Reliance Cup in Asia proved the subcontinent's cricket was worth billions. India's financial dominance began there, built on a foundation laid by neighbors working together. Jagmohan Dalmiya later moved ICC headquarters from London to Dubai and helped Bangladesh gain Test status.

Back then, Indian and Pakistani players hugged after matches, joked together, and defended each other against unfair treatment. Their officials put cricket loyalty above national rivalry.

Why This Inspires

This story shows what's possible when people choose collaboration over conflict. Salve and Khan had fought on opposite sides of a war, yet they recognized their shared struggle against an unfair system. Their friendship wasn't naive, it was strategic and sincere.

Their legacy lives in every World Cup match played in Asia, every young Bangladeshi cricketer who dreams big, and every rupee that flows through Indian cricket today. They proved that yesterday's enemies can become today's partners when they find common ground.

The article's author worries that success has made India forget these roots. But remembering this history offers hope: if cricket bridges could be built once, they can be rebuilt again.

Today's cricket politics may have closed doors between neighbors, but the 1980s remind us those doors were opened by people who chose to see possibilities instead of obstacles.