Ultimate battle of Cricket

A tiny north Indian city has overnight become a hot tourist destination, drawing prime ministers, corporate czars, showbiz celebrities and passionate fans for what is touted as the "mother of all cricket contests." Nothing gets bigger in this part of the globe than a cricket match featuring India and Pakistan, who fought three wars since their independence from Britain in 1947.

The rivalry will be renewed in Wednesday's cricket World Cup semifinal in Mohali in the state of Punjab, and the city administration is already bracing for a logistical nightmare. Many government and cricket officials fear the match could be a potential tinderbox given the emotions involved, and some have urged the fans and the media not to hype what is essentially a cricket contest. "It's like any other match. The media hype around the match, I think, is totally unnecessary," Pakistan team manager Intikhab Alam told CNN-IBN channel.

"We have come here to play cricket. This is not a war field or anything. I'm sure you will see a great game of cricket," said the former Pakistan captain, who has coached the Punjab team in Ranji trophy. Even South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis hoped the high-profile match would pass without anything untoward. "India versus Pakistan in Mohali is a spectacle not to be ignored. Like everyone else, my greatest wish is that the match takes place without any 'incident,' either on or off the field," he wrote in a column that appeared in Sunday's Hindustan Times newspaper. Former India pace bowler Javagal Srinath advised the Indian team not to let the "dream semifinal" to distract them from their ultimate goal of winning the title.

"The general perception among the Indian fans that beating Pakistan is the be-all and end-all must change," Srinath wrote in the same newspaper. "We have to move out of that line of thinking. As a nation, we have evolved, and I don't think there can be any compromise on winning the final." Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart, Yusuf Raza Gilani, will watch the match in what is billed as "cricket diplomacy." Security was ramped up at the Punjab Cricket Association stadium on Sunday as India staged its first training session ahead of the high-profile semifinal.

The match, the first between the archrivals on Indian soil since the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, gained an added security headache Sunday when Gilani confirmed he would attend Wednesday's clash. Police were out in greater numbers in and around the ground on Sunday and there were even "media security officers" escorting reporters into the grounds. Meanwhile, the security presence was equalled only by the increased number of television trucks parked side by side outside the stadium, all eager to beam back pictures of such stars as local hero Yuvraj Singh and Sachin Tendulkar.

Pakistan, the 1992 champions, were put through their paces once again by coach Waqar Younis in an early morning training stint that started with a lively soccer match. Coming back to the PCA Stadium was proving particularly pleasant for Pakistan manager Intikhab Alam, who earlier in his career coached a Punjab team featuring both Yuvraj and India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh. "I am nostalgic; I remember this place very well," former Test leg-spinner Alam told the Sunday Pioneer. "The two years I spent here earned me friends for life. It feels great to come back."

Alam's relaxed mood was in keeping with that of his team. Opening batsman Mohammad Hafeez said on Saturday neither he nor his Pakistan colleagues had any qualms about security, saying: "We have no fear or a feeling of (any) shortcoming when it comes to security. "That's not our job; our job is to play cricket. To provide security is the responsibility of the ICC (International Cricket Council) and the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India). "We are very happy and we are enjoying ourselves very much."

About 3,000 police will patrol Wednesday's match, with about 2,000 expected to be deployed in and around the 30,000-capacity stadium on match day.  An estimated 1,000 police have already descended on the luxury Hotel Taj in nearby Chandigarh where both teams are staying, a force that includes Indian army commandos. The game has already sparked a flurry of political activity. Faharullah Babar, a spokesman for Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari, responded to Singh's "cricket diplomacy". "It was decided in response to the Indian Prime Minister's invitation that Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani will visit India to witness the semi final cricket match," he said.

Elsewhere the frantic scramble for hotel rooms and tickets showed no signs of slackening, even though the PCA had insisted as early as Tuesday that the 14,000 available tickets had been sold, with the rest in the hands of the ICC.  According to a newspaper report, airport authorities have received requests from business tycoons, including India's richest man, Mukesh Ambani, and fellow industrialist Vijay Mallya, to allow them to park their private jets in Chandigarh.

While politicians and Bollywood celebrities will also be in tow, there is a growing sense of anger among the ticketseeking fans who complained of large-scale black-marketing. The CNN-IBN channel claimed tickets priced at 15,000 Indian rupees ($335.6 U.S.) were available in the black market for 100,000 rupees ($2,237), while tickets priced at 10,000 were being sold at five times their original worth.  Both Chandigarh, about 10 kilometres from the stadium, and Mohali are bursting at the seams and about 2,000 hotels rooms are proving inadequate to accommodate the visitors, and the rush has not ended yet.

"For a match as big as this one, we cannot do anything about black-market tickets," said PCA joint secretary GS Walia. "As far as we are concerned, we only gave the tickets to those who stood in the queues and bought them. We cannot keep track if they sell these in (the) black (market)." As for the game itself, Pakistan, the 1992 champion, insists all the pressure will be on India in Mohali on Wednesday, where the host's status as tournament favourite will come under scrutiny from a crowd made up almost entirely of home support.

"If India were going to win the World Cup, this is their best chance," said Imran Khan, who captained the 1992 Pakistan title-winning team. "I am not trying to play mind games, but the fact that they are favourites and are playing at home will mean they are under more pressure. "My advice to the Indian team is to take sleeping pills, otherwise they won't be able to sleep," added Imran in his Hindustan Times column. Regardless of the match outcome, there is one result everyone hopes to see. Alam appealed for calm between the two sets of fans ahead of the game, saying, "Let it remain as cricket and don't make us feel as if we are standing on a war front."

INDIA-PAKISTAN CONFLICTS OVER THE YEARS

Partition 1947 After India's independence, the subcontinent is split into Hindu-dominated India and the new Muslim state of Pakistan in 1947. An estimated half a million people are killed in resulting riots and population relocations. War 1947-48 War breaks out after the countries support opposing sides in a clash for control of the territory of Kashmir. The war ends with the creation of a ceasefire line, but Kashmir's status remains unresolved.

War 1965 Pakistan launches a covert offensive across the ceasefire line into Indian-administered Kashmir and Jammu territories. India retaliates by crossing border into Lahore. War 1971 Separatist movement in East Pakistan sparks civil war. India invades East Pakistan in support of its people after millions of civilians flee to India. In 1971, state of Bangladesh is created out of East Pakistan.

1989 Kashmir insurgency Armed resistance to Indian rule breaks out in Kashmir. India accuses Pakistan of arming rebels. In 1990s, militant Muslim groups emerge in area. 1998 Nuclear fears Both sides conduct nuclear tests, prompting U.S. and several other nations to impose sanctions on both nations. India and Pakistan reaffirm will to resolve conflicts peacefully in 1999. 1999 Kargil conflict Pakistani-backed forces infiltrate Kashmir; India launches air strikes against the rebels. 2001 brink of war Buildup of troops along Indo-Pakistani border after tension along ceasefire line builds. Attack on Kashmiri assembly in Srinagar kills 38; another attack on Indian parliament in Delhi kills 14. India blames Kashmiri militants.