The first match will be played at Niaz Stadium, Hyderabad, on Sunday while the second one in Karachi on Sept 30 at the National Stadium. The Indians will conclude their week-long schedule by playing the last match on Oct 2 under the floodlights of Qadhafi Stadium, the picturesque venue that hosted the final of the World Cup in 1996.
Pakistan, in May, had participated in India's Independence Cup where they humbled India - thanks to a record-breaking 194 by Saeed Anwar. However, Pakistan failed to win the Cup when they were beaten by world champions Sri Lanka in two straight matches in the best-of-the-three finals.
Two hours after the arrival of the Indian team, the national carrier will bring the Pakistani cricketers from the Canadian city where both India and Pakistan played a series of five one-day internationals. India's last visit to Pakistan was in 1989-90 when Kris Srikkanth's men played here four Tests and as many one-dayers during their 45-day tour. Since then Pakistan and India have not exchanged tours until Pakistan travelled to Bangalore for the exciting World Cup quarter-final last year in March.
In fact, Pakistan's two visits to India between 1989 and 1995 were cancelled for one reason or the other. Shiv Sena's threats forced the Pakistan cricket administrators to postpone the visit in 1991 and a year later, the demolition of historic Babri Masjid in Ayodhia further dampened the prospects of Pakistan crossing the borders. India, on the contrary, refused to come to Pakistan in 1993 for the Asia Cup saying it wouldn't come until they were paid a return visit by the Pakistanis.
However, the major breakthrough came late last year when Majid Khan, the PCB chief executive, agreed to send his team to India for May's Independence Cup. That followed the acceptance by the Indian authorities to send their team on a reciprocal basis.
India's last tour of Pakistan was marred by an unfortunate incident when violence erupted at the National Stadium, Karachi, during the third one-day international.
On Dec 20, 1988, the match at the National Stadium was abandoned for the second time in the history of the ground after just an hour's play with Pakistan reeling at 28 for three after 14 overs. The first was in 1981-82 when the Australia-Pakistan match had to be called off. The trouble started when Mohammad Azharuddin was hit by a missile from the general enclosure. During the trouble that followed the incident, the then Indian team manager Chandu Borde was quoted as saying: ``We have been in tension for the last 45 days. My boys are scared. There is absolutely no security for my boys.''
The Indian Foreign Ministry in New Delhi also acted immediately after the National Stadium fiasco when it summoned Shafqat Kakakhel, the Pakistani Charge d' Affaires. The then Indian official, Naheshwar Dayal, lodged an official protest and strongly condemned the ``incident of violence and other displays of hooliganism''.
In the background of the nine-year-old disaster and the latest incident of fist-fight between Inzamamul Haq and an Indian spectator in Canada, the law enforcing agencies are more than cautious.
Eatables, megaphones, flags or anything which can be thrown onto the ground, have been banned while the spectators will have to pass through three security checks before taking their seats in the 34,300-capacity National Stadium.
At least 25 armed policemen will be guarding the boundaries of the National Stadium while another two dozen will be deployed near the players dressing rooms. The Indian team, in particular, will travel in top class security and under the surveillance of armed police mobiles. Similarly, the hotel will also be under strict guard and no unauthorised people/visitor will be allowed to step on the floor on which the Indian team will be staying.
The higher-ups of the law-enforcing agencies have also directed their people to control their emotions and not to respond to the expected taunting or slogans.
The best possible arrangements have been made to make the Indian team's visit a memorable one. Now all depends upon the citizens of the city to show discipline and cooperate with the authorities and restrain themselves from doing any thing which may bring a bad name to the country or mar the Golden Jubilee celebrations.
The two teams, arriving on Thursday, are:
INDIA - Sachin Tendulkar (captain), Ajay Jadeja (vice-captain), Saurav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Mohammad Azharuddin, Vinod Kambli, Saba Karim (wicketkeeper), Rajesh Chauhan, Abey Kuruvilla, Harvinder Singh, Robin Singh, Dabashish Mohanty, Nilesh Kulkarni and Hrishinkesh Kanitkar. Cricket Manager: Madan Lal.
PAKISTAN - Ramiz Raja (captain), Saeed Anwar (vice-captain), Shahid Afridi, Salim Malik, Ijaz Ahmad, Inzamamul Haq, Hasan Raza, Moin Khan (wicketkeeper), Azhar Mahmood, Saqlain Mushtaq, Aqib Javed, Mohammad Akram, Shahid Nazir, Kabir Khan, Mohammad Husain. Cricket Manager: Haroon Rasheed.