Musharraf turns his charm on, Pak its talent

Wearing a silk suit and a silk tie to a cricket match in Delhi's summer may prove to be suicidal, but Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf refused to compromise with his trademark suavity as he kept his date with the sixth and final One-Dayer at the Ferozeshah Kotla today.

It is not clear the degree of interest President Musharraf has in cricket but he and his host Prime Minister Manmohan Singh indeed triggered the beginning of cricket diplomacy as they seated themselves in the VIP enclosure, surrounded by their well-heeled entourage.

Neither was it clear from a distance what the two were muttering to each other, but definitely the issue of the Tri-colour emblazoned upside down on Musharraf's PIA aircraft was not on their agenda.

Posters hailing India-Pakistan ties and a mix of people from either side of the border, faced painted and breaking into a near-aboriginal ritual dance, greeted the two leaders as they were escorted onto the ground to meet the players, DDCA President and former minister Arun Jaitley bringing up the right flank.

Musharraf spent a few extra seconds with Anil Kumble and Mohammad Kaif as he moved on while Singh kept sporting his gracious smile as players were introduced to him.

Musharraf's arrival at the ground was as swift as Pakistan's victory over India today. A phalanx of cars covered his bullet-proof Mercedes Benz limousine as the convoy drove through Capital roads that were near-empty, except for security personnel dotting the route, and obviously every nook and corner inside and around the field.

Apart from Musharraf and Singh, in the VIP enclosure were External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit. Gandhi and Musharraf's wife Begum Sehba shared the same couch and exuded the same bonhomie as Singh and the Pakistan President did.

Even though the VIPs arrived early, they could not beat the crowds to the act as thousands stood in front of the turnstiles from around 3 am, seeking entry into the ground. The fear of not getting a ticket evaporated like camphor as special passes worth Rs 5,000 and less went dime a dozen.

On a whistle-stop tour, Musharraf left after a 45-minute mayhem by the Pakistani openers for the Hyderabad House where he and Singh met in a climax of their cricketing diplomacy, striving to narrow a decades-old chasm through a cross-country bus service, banquets, the charm of PR and, of course, cricket.