Special To WSN TORONTO: A proposed charity cricket match at the Tron to Skydome on November 5 is creating enough stress among cricketing nations that it might become the main off agenda discussion when the Commonwealth Prime Ministers meet for their annual meeting in Kuala Lumpur in October, according to Globe and Mail,

The match the first international to be played anywhere in a dome pits a World Eleven comprising top players around the world against the international cricketing. ‘champions, the West Indies.

It will be sponsored by United Way of Greater Toronto to test plans for an annual: cricket tournament as part of the charity’s efforts to raise funds. News of the first match has created intense enthusiasm among immigrants from the major cricketing nations of the world, many of whom will get their first chance in years to see an international game without having to leave their adopted home.

But the match also coincides with plans by the government of India to play host to a two week international cricket tournament to mark the 100th birthday of Jawaharlal Nehru one of the founders of the Indian independence movement and grandfather of Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi,

Gandhi, president of the Nehru celebration committee, has put all the efforts of the Indian government into making the celebration a success.

‘The Indian government has invited three other major cricketing nations Pakistan, England and Sri Lanka to the celebration, But at the top of the 1st is the West Indies team which represents the English speaking Caribbean islands. Apart from being the strongest international cricket team, it plays the ‘most exciting Version of the game and is a pull among spectators.

Australia and New Zealand, the other cricketing nations that form the nucleus of the London based International Cricket Council, rejected the Indian government invitation.

India and the West Indies also have a strong rivalry in one day cricket matches, when a game that traditionally lasts as much as six days is compressed into one day, The Indian tournament and the match at the SkyDome will be based on the quicker version.

‘The United Way has an agreement with the West Indies Cricket Board of Control, which runs the sports in the Caribbean, to send its top players to Toronto for the charity game.

The United Way has been planning the ‘game for two years and signed up the West Indians in May. India did not start planning its tournament until March.

Ben Sennick chairman of the United Way cricket committee said the West Indies reconfirmed this week.

This has not stopped India from woing them. It is offering first class airfares and accommodation for the two weeks in India and a sizable stipend to each West Indian ‘making the trip.

Sources say the Indian monetary offer is much more that the $1,200 and three days’ worth of accommodation and expenses the United Way is offering each player.

In addition, the West Indian players will be brought to Canada on a regular flight, using space donated by BWIA International the main Caribbean airline.

India has been pressuring the United Way to reschedule or drop the game. Sennick said Nov 5 is the only date available at the SkyDome and the game has already been rescheduled from Nov 11.“Otherwise we will have to wait until March, 1990 and that’s too long.”

India bas offered to fly the West Indian players to Toronto for the game and to ‘whisk them back to India to conclude the tournament, but the West Indies officials would not accept this. The players would spend about three days traveling in about four days.

Finally sources said the Indian government offered to underwrite part of the cost of United Way for dropping the game.

The ICC administrators cricket which is mainly in former British Commonwealth countries. While the impasse between the United Way and India was not on the agenda of the ICC annual meeting in London last week, delegates spent most of their free time discussing the issue, said Ken Bullock, the Canadian delegate to the ICC.

“The Indians had three officials from the Nehru committee (lobbying) the delegates,” said Bullock, whose job was to defend the United Way position and to receive assurances from the various cricketing boards that their members will be in Toronto.

He said he got assurances from most of players, but not from the Pakistan captain Imran Khan who was supposed to lead the World Eleven in Toronto, He will be playing in the Nehru tournament.

‘With India failing to get the West Indies and United Way to change plans, sources say they expect Gandhi to raise the matter with Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and Caribbean prime ministers at the Commonwealth conference from Oct 18 to 24.

Raising the issue at the conference could present a problem for the West Indian prime ministers. At lease two of their countries Trindad and Tobago and Guyana have sizable Indian populations that view Nehru as a hero.

But the Caribbean countries are also hoping to tap the Canadian market for tourists by hoping that cricket catches on among Canadians so that more of them would travel to the West Indies.

Article extracted from this publication >>  August 4, 1989