Howzzat for charm?

Anyone who has watched Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf pad up to deflect Indian anger over cross-border terrorism, or observed him spin a fine delivery on the imperative of Indo-Pak peace, can have no doubt about it. Here is a crafty strategist of cricket diplomacy. And cricket, let8217;s not forget, is about as big as it gets here on the subcontinent.

So watch this general charm offensive. After days of Inzy making a fool of himself, complaining about being wrongly given out at Peshawar and blaming India for the dismissal, there comes Musharraf in Islamabad with his little pat on the back for the Indian team, his praise for Dravid, and his subtle put-down of the Pakistan captain for his unsportsmanlike whingeing. A better way to attempt a direct assault on a billion Indian hearts would be hard to device. This is not the first time that the general has displayed a panache for riding the wave of public enthusiasm that inevitably accompanies the game. Remember how he practically invited himself over to watch the Delhi ODI last April? There he was in Delhi, before our MEA could even find the required words to respond, pumping hands and explaining the finer points of the game to Dr and Mrs Manmohan Singh at the Kotla. He went off in a cloud of glory, after bringing a 8220;message of peace from Pakistan8221;, and speaking soft words about soft borders.

No serious political observer will read too much into the general8217;s words and stances, especially since the reality of terrorist violence invariably comes as a reality check before too long. Besides, it is easier for Musharraf to strike the grand gesture 8212; than for someone like Manmohan Singh 8212; because he is ultimately accountable to no one. Note how Singh had to politely decline the general8217;s invitation to watch a match in the current cricket series in Pakistan 8212; if it was not in the script, it was a clear no-no. The point, however, is that there is always scope in diplomacy, even in an engagement as fraught as that between India and Pakistan, for some tweaking of the script. A spontaneous gesture of affability or generosity goes a long way in these telegenic times.