The Sahara Cup

In this week’s edition of In Search of West Indies Cricket, the first of two
parts, Roger Seymour looks at an  international cricket tournament staged in, of all places, Toronto, Canada.

Introduction

The Sahara Cup – also  referred to as the ‘Friendship Cup’ – was an international cricket tournament played between India and Pakistan from 1996 to 1998 in Toronto, Canada. The series was a blending of wars, politics, an intense rivalry, an elite venue, emerging stars, the contemporary sports agents, television and satellites.

The origin of this unique event? It can be argued that it began in the Kashmir region, which separates India and Pakistan, and has been in dispute since the partition of British India into the two countries in 1947. India is claiming the entire former British Indian princely state of Jammu and Kashmir based on the Instrument of Accession signed by its then ruler, Maharaja Hari Singh, in October, 1947. Pakistan is claiming most of the region based on its Muslim-majority. (A portion of the north-east section of the territory is also a source of dispute between India and China.)

The land battle sparked three wars and several armed skirmishes which resulted in very limited cricket encounters between the two territories. In fact, between 1952 and 1990, there were only ten Test series between the bitter rivals, two of which were played in the 1950s. None were held between 1960/61 and 1978/79, due to two wars in 1965 and 1971. After a flurry of six (or part thereof) series in the 1980s, there was another lull in the 1990s, as hostilities between the two nations thawed once again.

The proliferation of One Day International (ODI) tournaments beginning with the ICC Prudential World Cup in 1975, the Asia Cup (1984), and the Austral–Asia Cup (1986) provided rare opportunities for the two teams to face off. The Asia Cup was initially contested between India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka in Sharjah, UAE, with India beating both opponents to take the first lien. Bangladesh joined the fray in 1986, when Sri Lanka hosted the tournament, as India boycotted, following a controversial Test series in Sri Lanka in 1985. Pakistan withdrew from the biennial competition in 1990/91 when India hosted, due to strained diplomatic relations. The 1993 tournament was cancelled for similar reasons, while the event returned to Sharjah for the first time in 1995. The UAE, Hong Kong, Afghanistan and Nepal have also made appearances in the event which has alternated between the T20I and ODI formats since 2016. As of 2023, India have won eight titles, Sri Lanka six and Pakistan two.

The Austral–Asia Cup, which was sponsored by the Sharjah Cricket Association has only been contested on three occasions to date – 1986, 1990, and 1994 – with Pakistan sweeping a hat trick of wins, including a dramatic last ball victory in the first final. Chasing 246, Pakistan, requiring four to win, were down to their last pair, when Javed Miandad swotted a six for one of the most historic moments in ODI history. India were also defeated in the third final.

IMG

The International Management Group (IMG) was founded in 1960 in Cleveland, Ohio, by American lawyer Mark McCormack, who had recognised the potential of athletes generating large incomes from endorsements in the television age. McCormack’s first three clients were professional golfers, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus, who, collectively, were known as ‘The Big Three’. IMG’s portfolio of sportsmen and women expanded rapidly, as the pioneer sports management firm attracted the creme de la creme of celebrities from several fields, initially, mainly from golf, lawn tennis, and motor racing. McCormack’s innovations in merchandising, licensing and television programming are regarded as the single most important influence in the transformation of sports into big business.

As IMG developed a network of offices worldwide, the range and diversity of its clientele increased beyond the world of sports to include entities such as the Nobel Foundation and the fashion houses of Europe. Most importantly, IMG, through its subsidiary Trans World International (TWI), became a major producer of television programming which facilitates the promotion of their stable of clients. The high quality of TWI produced programming eventually saw the organisation morphing into the additional role of consultant to major events such the Olympic Games and Wimbledon.

By the 1990s the cricket boards of both India and Pakistan were clients of IMG, which quickly recognised the potential revenues of an annual series between the two arch rivals. The constant conflict in Kashmir and its accompanying possibility of political interference, coupled with the threat of violence in the stands, eliminated playing at, or close to home, thus mandating neutral turf for the proposed duel. While the Sharjah Cricket Stadium was technically a neutral location on paper, it was considered too close to Pakistan, and its large expat Pakistani population provided a distinct bias as had been witnessed during past Asia and Austral-Asia tournaments. (In fact, Sharjah hosted five Pakistan Test matches between 2002 and 2011. Two other UAE cities, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi also served as a home base for Pakistan during political turmoil at home, with each city hosting 13 Tests a piece, between November 2010 and December 2018.)

Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club

In 1995, IMG began scouting sites along North America’s east coast, a location chosen because the time difference – nine hours for Pakistan and nine and a half for India – facilitated the telecasting of day matches in prime time on the sub-continent. There were not many cricket grounds along North America’s eastern seaboard which were qualified under the stringent ICC standards to host international cricket. The foremost requirement was the availability of a turf wicket of the grade for playing international cricket. When disorganisation stalled the United States of America Cricket Association’s bid, TWI approached the Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club (TCSCC), at the suggestion of then ICC CEO David Richards, who had attended the annual USA versus Canada match in 1995 at the same venue. It was an unlikely location for a series of such magnitude.

The TCSCC is an elite private athletic club whose exclusive membership enjoys state-of-the-art and premium amenities in a sophisticated atmosphere. Other clubs on the very short list are the Boulevard Club, the Royal Canadian Yacht Club, the Granite Club, the Rosedale Golf Club, the Toronto Ski Club, the Toronto Lawn Tennis Club and the Beacon Hall Golf Club. Most of these institutions have been around for over 100 years and offer several athletic facilities ranging from badminton to squash to aquatics to fencing to lawn bowling. Strict adherence to traditions such as the donning of all white clothing on the tennis courts is the rule of the day. Sharp examination of new applicants, exorbitant entry fees and extravagant annual dues all contribute to maintaining the status quo of these establishments.

The TCSCC, commonly referred to as ‘Cricket Club’ was founded in 1827, 50 years before the first ever Test match, and in the mid-1950s amalgamated first with the Skating Club (1895) and then the Curling Club (1836).

In 1996, the laying of a new turf wicket and the installation of an electronic scoreboard were among the few upgrades that the Cricket Club, by then, a thriving social and recreational entity, required to be certified as an international facility by the ICC. Temporary stands, which were capable of seating 4,500 spectators, were erected at the tree ringed facility, located in the upscale North York neighbourhood. Less than a mile south from the Trans-Canada Highway, the 401, where traffic flows ceaselessly across the top of the city. 

1996

The 1996 Wills World Cup was jointly hosted by India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The intense rivalry between India and Pakistan was revived when they clashed in the quarter-finals, on 9th March at Bangalore. India won a high-scoring affair by 39 runs, as Pakistan, replying to India’s imposing total of 287 for eight, could only muster 248 for nine, after reaching 231 for five. India’s glory was short lived as they succumbed to Sri Lanka in the semi finals, wilting at 120 for eight, in reply to Sri Lanka’s total of 251. With superstar Sachin Tendulkar, the tournament’s top run scorer (523 runs, two centuries, three fifties), dismissed for 65, and an inevitable defeat staring at their team, the 110,000 disappointed fans pelted the field with bottles and rocks, bringing the match to a halt and forcing Match Referee Clive Lloyd to award the game to Sri Lanka, which would go on to to defeat Australia by seven wickets in the final.

A month later, in the Singer Cup in Singapore, despite an even century from Tendulkar, Pakistan avenged their World Cup defeat by eight wickets in a rain affected match, before beating Sri Lanka by 43 runs in the final. A week later in the Sharjah Cup, Pakistan beat India again, this time by 38 runs. Three days hence, India turned the tables in a high-scoring affair; India 305 for 5 – Tendulkar 118, N S Sidhu, 101; Pakistan, 277, Aamir Sohail, 78. India won by 28 runs. South Africa, the third team in the tournament, swept both teams twice, before restricting India to 249/9 off  50 overs, replying to their formidable total of 287/5, to capture the Sharjah Cup.

On the first half tour of England that summer, India were comprehensively beaten in the three match ODI series 0-2, as the first game was abandoned due to rain. In the three-match Test series, England triumphed 1-0, despite Tendulkar’s 428 runs, inclusive of two centuries, in five innings at an average of 85.60. The tour was a disaster for India’s Captain Mohamed Azharuddin, who suffered a complete loss of form in the Tests, and failed to lead India to a single first class win. However, two silver linings emerged for India in the Second Test at Lord’s, in the forms of Test debutantes Sourav Ganguly and Rahul David, who made 131 and 95, respectively, on the most auspicious of Test arenas. In the first week of September, in the Singer Cup held in Sri Lanka, India’s listlessness continued, as they lost to the hosts by nine wickets, despite another Tendulkar century in his first match as India’s captain. But they saved face by defeating Zimbabwe by seven wickets, before losing to Australia by three wickets.

In the second part of the Summer of ‘96, Pakistan revelled in the warmer clime, convincingly beating England 2-0 in the Test series, and dropping the ODI series 1-2, as the tour ended in early September, the only second low point of the tour, following a loss to Warwickshire in a first class fixture in mid–July. The formidable opening attack of Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis received wonderful support from the batsmen in the Test matches as Pakistan posted totals of 340 & 352 for five declared, 448 & 242 for seven declared, 521 & 48 for one. Saeed Anwar (362) and Inzamam-ul-Haq (320) were the leading run scorers.

Sahara Cup

The stage was set for the showdown between the two nations, with the Cricket Club having signed on to a three-year deal. IMG had acquired a lucrative five-year sponsorship contract from Sahara, one of India’s largest conglomerates which had interests in several sectors, ranging from finance to aviation to housing and infrastructure. The IMG contract signed with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) committed the two arch rivals to play five matches every year  in September, from 1996 to 2000. The month had been specifically chosen as the continental climate is cool at that time of year with lots of sunny days and daylight hours as summer meanders into the fall.

The series was scheduled to commence on Saturday, 14th September, but Hurricane Fran, the third major storm of the season, had other plans. After making landfall in North Carolina, in early September, it curved east-northeastward before transitioning a few days later into an extratropical cyclone over Ontario, thus delaying the start of the highly anticipated event until the Monday.

Despite the large resident expatriate population, the attendance for the opening match was estimated at a paltry 750. In a match reduced to 33 overs because of the weather, India’s trio of Karnataka bowlers Javagal Srinath, Venkatesh Prasad and Anil Kumble, managed to restrict the confident Pakistan side to 170 for nine, which was later revised under the Duckworth-Lewis to be chased down in 31 overs. It was then time for the new Indian captain Tendulkar to show his mettle. He hammered 89 not out, sharing a second-wicket partnership of 90 with newcomer Dravid (39), as India raced to an eight-wicket victory with seven balls to spare. Tendulkar’s run-a-ball innings earned him the Man of the Match award.

The second game on Tuesday, once again played before a small but enthusiastic crowd, was definitely the match of the series. Led by Dravid’s immaculate innings of 90 and Azharuddin’s solid 88, India posted the challenging total of 264 for six from 50 overs. After Saeed Anwar laid the foundation for the chase with an innings of 80, the experienced Saleem Malik, in a match-winning innings of 70*, guided Pakistan home with two wickets standing and one ball to spare, to level the series. With the weekend lost to Fran, the organisers took the unprecedented step of playing the first three matches on consecutive days, and the under-prepared pitch was reflected in the low scores. India 191 all out off 50 overs, Dravid, 46; Pakistan, 136 all out off 42.4 overs. India won by 55 runs.

The fourth match, on the Saturday drew the largest crowd of the series, as many expats resident in Toronto and its immediate environs arrived to cheer for their home side. The Pakistanis did not disappoint their supporters, as they posted 258 for eight off 50 overs, on the back of Ijaz Ahmed’s 90. Akram, for the second consecutive match, induced Tendulkar to hold out to short point, where Saleem Malik took a blinder of a catch, leaving India reeling at 9 for two, a position from which they never recovered, swooning to 161 all out in 39.2 overs. Pakistan won by a margin of 97 runs to level the series.

Once again, the lingering effects of the hurricane washed out the fifth and deciding game scheduled for Sunday. The final game took place on Monday with Pakistan garnering a challenging total of 213 for nine off 50 overs on a difficult pitch. Leg spinner Mushtaq Ahmed took the first five-wicket haul in the series, as India folded, for 161 again, in 45.5 overs, as no batsman on either side passed 50. Anil Kumble, who took 15 wickets, won the Player of the Series Award.

1997

India and Pakistan returned to Toronto in September for the second year of the Sahara Cup. Defending champions Pakistan were without the services of Captain Wasim Akram, his opening bowling partner Waqar Younis (who had to complete the English County season with Glamorgan) and Mushtaq Ahmed, but were still favoured to retain the title under new Captain Ramiz Raja. India, on the other hand, arrived on the back of a string of disappointing results, having won just once in eight games during a disastrous tour of Sri Lanka in July/August.

The second edition of the Sahara Cup serves up three distinct memories. Firstly, there were large crowds which had reportedly travelled from all over North America, including Vancouver, Detroit, New York, Chicago, Montreal, New Jersey and California. Security was tight; bags were checked for weapons or potential weapons, and poles or sticks attached to flags were removed (less they served as a means of skewering opposing fans), as fans arrived early for the 9:30 am start of the first game on Saturday, 13th September. There was boisterous support for both sides throughout the series, with fans chanting, singing, taunting opposing supporters and stamping their feet on the temporary stands.

Secondly, there was the infamous ‘aloo incident.’ During the second game, whilst Pakistan were fielding, an Indian supporter with a megaphone began heckling Inzamam-ul-Haq, as he had done during the first game. Reports vary as to what was actually said, as the man was speaking in a foreign language, but several sources claimed that Inzamam-ul-Haq was addressed as ‘a fat potato’ and ‘a rotten potato’. Another source said that Azharuddin was also a target of the taunting. Whatever was said, at the drinks break, Inzamam-ul-Haq headed down to the boundary area near to where the heckler was sitting in the stands. Pakistan’s 12th man Mohammad Hussain arrived with a bat which Inzamam-ul-Haq collected and then proceeded to the stands, where he was intercepted and restrained by two security personnel and a few spectators. There was an exchange of words as the player tried in vain to go after the heckler. No one was hurt. Inzamam-ul-Haq then returned to his original position in the slips and the match resumed after 40 minutes. Match Referee, former West Indies Test wicketkeeper Jackie Hendriks later suspended the Pakistan batsman for two games. Needless to say the use of megaphones during matches was immediately banned.

Thirdly, there was Ganguly’s unprecedented streak of winning four consecutive Man of the Match awards, along with the Man of the Series award, as India, against all expectations, romped to a 4-1 triumph. They won the first four games by 20 runs, by seven wickets, by 34 runs and by seven wickets, respectively. Ganguly’s awards were not solely due to his batting (222 runs), but also his seam bowling, most notably in the second game, where he took six for 15.

1998

In September 1998, the end of the English County Championships, the Commonwealth Games (where cricket was being played for the first time) in Malaysia and the Sahara Cup all shared overlapping dates. India and Pakistan both sent teams to Malaysia, with the former opting to send Tendulkar, along with Kumble, Ajay Jageda, Harbhajan Singh and VVS Laxman to the Games, while the latter included Shoaib Akhtar and Arshad Khan.

Azharuddin led India to the Sahara Cup, while Aamir Sohail became the third Pakistan captain in the tournament. Despite winning the toss in all five matches, and leading India to victory in the first encounter, Azharuddin could not prevent Pakistan from steamrolling India in the next four. The margin of victory kept increasing embarrassingly with each passing match: 51 runs, 77 runs, 134 runs and finally five wickets. The final loss was incurred despite Tendulkar’s arrival after India were eliminated in the groups stages in Malaysia. India posted 256 for nine, with significant contributions from Azharuddin (101) and Tendulkar (77) only for Sohail (97*) and Saeed Anwar (83) to make light work of the target, as Pakistan took an overall lead of 8/7 in the series.

Next week, the West Indies fly to the rescue

Notes

IMG was never too worried about the relatively low attendance. The screams, shouts, appeals and laughter provided the window dressing for this made-for-television event which was watched annually on the sub-continent by an estimated one billion viewers.

India and Pakistan have played 15 ICC World Cup matches, with India winning 14.