Indo Pak Series: End Of Days?

One neighbour pitches in when another feels betrayed. That is the story of the Indo-Pak series that was expected to add excitement early to 2009. With the Indian government stamping a firm ‘no’ to the tour, Pakistan have had to make several reassurances that the same did not happen with Sri Lanka.
The battle lines appear drawn, not on the line of control, but in the cricketing fraternity. Snubbed by India and humiliated enough for calls to boycott the the IPL and ICL (before the Twenty20 leagues take the decision themselves), the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) decided to turn to another neighbour, Sri Lanka, to bail them out of this image defamation.
Sri Lanka who have little on their agenda till the next Twenty20 world cup gladly obliged…rather Arjuna Ranatunga obliged in his capacity as head of the interim committee of the Sri Lanka Cricket. But his subsequent absolution from his duty as a result of the interim committee being dissolved by the sports minister Gamini Lokuge, threw the Sri Lanka tour to Pakistan into jeopardy as well.
Even as the Pakistan Cricket Board suggested they would make the request through diplomatic channels if necessary and Javed Miandad went about pleading with Sri Lanka like he did against India, the Sri Lankans sought permission through their president Rajapakse. Announcing the fact that the requisite permission had been sought by the foreign minister Rohitha Bogollagama after a discussion with President Mahinda Rajapakse, the foreign ministry issued a statement to the effect, “Minister Bogollagama is of the view that sport is an effective means of promoting connectivity between nations and thereby enhancing friendship and mutual goodwill between countries.”
While the antagonism towards India had been unprecedented, even players such as Sachin Tendulkar chose to tow the line of the government and concurring that the mood in the country was not in the right frame to tour to Pakistan after the terror strikes in Mumbai. Sri Lanka have also faced opposition in the past when foreign teams have refused to tour and thereby, forfeiting their league matches (Australia and West Indies) in the 1996 World Cup.
That Sri Lanka has been more forthcoming will perhaps draw these two nations closer even as Pakistan goes on the offensive as far as India is concerned. One can only wait and watch expectedly if Pakistan does carry out its threats that included withdrawing Pakistan cricketers from India affiliated leagues like IPL and ICL and even goes further to refuse playing with India. The question is also: can they afford to alienate India’s commercial potential given that they have spent much of 2008 unable to convince teams that Pakistan is still a viable state?