A horrific attack on visitors in Kashmir’s Pahalgam valley was reported in India. Since then, Pakistan and all things pertaining to India’s neighbour have been the subject of wrath. The rest of the nation is furious with the people and the Kashmir region as a result of the residents’ alleged assistance.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India, or BCCI, has been under pressure to cease playing matches against Pakistan for the foreseeable future. The Sher-e-Kashmir Stadium in Kashmir has hosted a few international games in the past. Due to security concerns and the Central Reserve Police Force’s (CRPF) occupancy, the arena hasn’t played host to a top-tier match in almost forty years.
Cricket was not played throughout the 18 years while the CRPF maintained their base at the stadium. In the twenty-first century, a lot of political rallies were held. But the last time an international cricket match was played at the 12,000-seat stadium was in the 1980s.
The history of cricket in Jammu & Kashmir, India
The arena has hosted two international matches, both of which have featured India. Sadly for the home team, they were defeated in both cases. After winning the historic ODI World Cup in 1983, Kapil Dev’s squad faced the best team in the world, Clive Lloyd’s West Indies. Rain hampered the game, and India lost by 28 runs.
On September 9, 1986, the last international match was played at the location. In an exciting low-scorer match against Australia, India lost by three wickets. India, who batted first, amassed 222/8 thanks to Sunil Gavaskar’s 52(56). Allan Border contributed to Australia’s victory with a brilliant knock and an undefeated 90*(106).
The stadium hasn’t played host to a major, top-tier fixture since 1986. Over the past forty years, Kashmir has become a very sensitive region. Since then, the BCCI has not selected Kashmir as a location for any matches due to safety concerns and a lack of infrastructure upgrades.