Indian Cricket team touring Pakistan

Win hearts too, PM tells Indian cricket team before departing to Pakistan

When captain Sourav Ganguly and his boys called on the Prime Minister at his 7, Race Course Road residence four hours before leaving for the historic tour, Vajpayee presented a bat to them with the message inscribed: Khel hi nahin, dil bhi jitiye. Shubh kamnaye (not just the game, win hearts as well).
Vajpayee told them to play the game in a spirit of friendship. Team manager Ratnakar Shetty assured the Prime Minister that they would keep his message in mind. Shetty recalled that during his pre-match visit to Pakistan, he had been struck by the admiration and goodwill the people there had for the Prime Minister.

In Pictures: Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee presents a bat to Indian cricket team captain Sourav Ganguly as Sachin Tendulkar , Virendra Sehwag and Rahul Dravid look in New Delhi on Wednesday.
Ganguly said the goodwill nature of the tour would not dilute the determination of his players.

Indian Cricket Team

Sachin Tendulkar arrives amid tight security at a hotel in Lahore" align="left">

Indian Squad for Pakistan named

Indian XV Sourav Ganguly(captain), Sachin Tendulkar , Virender Sehwag , Rahul Dravid , Yuvraj Singh, V V S Laxman, Mohammad Kaif, Hemang Badani, Parthiv Patel (wicketkeeper), Zaheer Khan, Irfan Pathan, Asish Nehra, Murali Kartik, L Balaji, Ramesh Powar

India one-day squad Sachin Tendulkar , Virender Sehwag , VVS Laxman, Sourav Ganguly (capt), Rahul Dravid (vice-capt), Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Kaif, Hemang Badani, Parthiv Patel (wk), Ramesh Powar (Powar, 25, replaces Anil Kumble), Irfan Pathan, Murali Kartik, L Balaji, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra.

India test squad A Chopra, V Sehwag, V V S Laxman, S R Tendulkar R Dravid (Capt), Yuvraj Singh, P A Patel (Wkt), A Kumble, Z Khan I K Pathan, L Balaji.

In Pictures: Top India's Sachin Tendulkar arrives amid tight security at a hotel in Lahore on Wednesday. After a gap of 14 years, India and Pakistan are set to play a full cricket series amid tight security.
Above Security is tight every step of the way as the Indian team prepare to talk to the media

Victorious Indian cricket team arrives in New Delhi

Triumphant 'Team India'

Indias cricketers were whisked away from New Delhi airport by security officials minutes after they returned Saturday from a historic win against Pakistan, disappointing nearly a thousand flag-waving fans waiting for a glimpse of the triumphant team...
The Indian cricket board has awarded the team a bonus of Rs five million ($116,000) for winning the three-match Test series. It awarded a similar amount earlier on the tour when the Indians recorded their maiden one-day international series win on Pakistan soil.
Billed as a friendship series, the cricket tour came as part of peace moves by India and Pakistan to normalise their relations and resolve their differences through a dialogue. Hours after India won the Test match Friday, Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee said the people of Pakistan must be credited for the success of the tour. I want to congratulate the people of Pakistan. Our team has won ... we hope it keeps winning, but the way the crowds in Pakistan behaved during the cricket matches deserves to be praised, he said at an election rally in western India

In Pictures: Top A jubilant India celebrate victory by an innings and 131 runs to claim the decisive third Test and take the series 2-1
Above Indian team leaving Lahore

Cricket Features

Cricket Circle | Asian Cricket News | International Cricket Records | Cricket Polls | Famous Incidents | Famous Cricketers | The Cricket World Cup | International Cricket Players | World XI's Matches | Tsunami Aid Cricket