India-Pak CBMs and Cricket: Duck, Six or Somewhere in Between?
Generation Why: South Asian Voices, Stimson Center, August 30, 2013
Arun Vishwanathan, Assistant Professor, National Institute of Advanced Studies
Aryaman Bhatnagar, Associate Fellow, Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi
A simple search will throw up several definitions of Confidence Building Measures (CBMs). Given deep suspicions of the ‘other’ and unresolved bilateral disputes, Indo-Pak CBMs are seen as a means to establish channels of communication and increase transparency between the two countries. Currently such mechanisms exist to increase military to military ties, greater people to people contact, provide advance notification of military manoeuvres and missile tests among others. Given cricket’s popularity in both countries, it has been seen as a possible CBM. Seen as a ‘quick fix’ to improve relations, given the sport’s popularity, in reality cricket might not translate into much in terms of better Indo-Pak relations.
