Capt, Imran bond over cricket on bus to Kartarpur

Jalandhar, November 10

Kartarpur corridor was the focal point of the connect between Pakistan PM Imran Khan and Punjab CM Capt Amarinder Singh when they met on Saturday at the end of the historic journey led by the latter through the corridor. But there was another, equally interesting, subject of common interest they discovered and talked about during the short bus ride from the Pakistan side of the zero line to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib.

Cricket, of course, is always a common thread between every Indian and Pakistani. It bonds as well as it fires passions between the two sides. But this bus ride was one of bonding, with Capt Amarinder helping Imran discover a special connect between their families, even though the two had not met before and did not know each other personally.

As Capt Amarinder told Imran during the short journey, he had seen him play in his cricketing days. The cricketing connect, however, went deeper, as the CM recalled.

During his conversation with Imran, Capt Amarinder told the latter that his uncle Jahangir Khan (who was married to Imran’s maternal aunt, Mubarak, and was a cricketer during the British Raj era) had played for Patiala, along with Mohd Nisar, Lala Amarnath, fast bowler Amar Singh and the two Ali batsmen (Wazir Ali and Amir Ali). These seven players were part of the team captained by Capt Amarinder’s father Maharaja Yadvinder Singh in 1934-35, for India and for Patiala — a fascinating bit of information that Imran enjoyed hearing from the CM.

The bus ride lasted less than 5 minutes, but, thanks to cricket, it was enough to break the ice between Imran and Capt Amarinder.

Imran and Pakistan Foreign Minister earlier received the CM and his delegation at zero point. The CM hoped the journey through the corridor would continue in future to builda stronger connect betweenthe two nations. — TNS