A glance at the implications of Sialkot Stallions' participating in the CLT20 on world cricket.

Pakistan's premier T20 team, the Sialkot Stallions, will be heading to India in October. So say BCCI officials with regards to Pakistani involvement in the premier T20 tournament, the Champions League T20. In the Champions League, a gathering of domestic sides from all over the world aims to decide which team is the best of the best. This is a tournament that has been devoid of any Pakistani involvement in its history - a sad state of affairs, one born out of the espousal of contrasting political agendas in the world of cricket.

The BCCI has shown noticeable resistance towards the involvement of Pakistani players and teams in their T20 tournaments. Reasons used in the past have included rejection from the Indian government and the lack of adequate security. The latter reason has been said to hold lesser weight due to the fact that Pakistanis have already participated in the IPL, such as Azhar Mahmood, and the umpires Asad Rauf and Aleem Dar. India's politically motivated stance has always been questioned, which has forced the BCCI into making their decision. This decision that has been welcomed, and it should serve to raise the profile of the Champions League. 

It is fitting to have the Sialkot Stallions as representatives of Pakistani T20 cricket. They are a team that has dominated the domestic scene in Pakistan for countless years, with their supremacy granting victory in six out of nine domestic T20 tournaments. The Sialkot Stallions side will not only be expected to represent Pakistan, but also counted on to do well. This is a side built to become champions, one that will have all other sides anxious.

Shoaib Malik, the Sialkot Stallions skipper, has for some time been indicating his desires to participate in the CLT20 to the media. There have been numerous other individuals on Pakistan's side of the border that have pushed for such an inclusion. All individuals involved in this process realised the importance of a Pakistani side in the competitions. And appears that the push has worked, to an extent. The push was initially stronger - for Pakistani players to be involved in the IPL competition held in India - but this will have to wait for now. 

There are numerous implications of the Sialkot Stallions' inclusion. For one, there is the potential of the floodgates opening for Pakistanis participating in local Indian competitions. If the BCCI can permit the Stallions' participation in the Champions League, then wider IPL involvement is not too far away. Moreover, the possibility of future India-Pakistan tours could be raised by a successful Stallions visit. We can even perhaps entertain the grandest of outcomes: improved relations between the Indian and Pakistani governments.

Cricket is a sport adored by Indians and Pakistanis alike, which can bring the two countries back together. There is a reason why the holding of the "Jeet lo Dil" resulted in momentarily positive Indo-Pak relations. In the Subcontinent, cricket and politics are always joined together as a package. There will never be a moment when they are not. The India v Pakistan semi-final in the 2011 World Cup was a splendid example; the political statements made by both sides and the visiting of politicians created an electric environment full of drama. The state of affairs might be less dramatic for the Sialkot Stallions, but the intrigue will still be tangible.

There will of course be those on the other side, that push for negativity. In India, there will always be some sort of an opposition to the inclusion of a Pakistani side, and there will never be unanimous agreement over the proposal of both countries participating together. Politicians on both sides will point towards the other country harbouring ill-feelings about them. They will use these to try and censure Sialkot's participation in the CLT20 tournament. So it will be interesting to see if these voices remain muzzled or become louder and louder.

For the BCCI, it is a splendid business move. Including a Pakistani side will result in millions of additional viewers from across the border. The possibility for increased revenues is one thing that no business-minded organisation can argue with. This is in fact a no-brainer for the BCCI, as they look to spice up a tournament that in its fifth year may have been losing its edge. 

As a result of the tape ball cricket played in the country, Pakistan produces some of the highest quality T20 cricketers. The likes of Umar Gul, Shahid Afridi, Umar Akmal and Saeed Ajmal would walk into most other domestic sides. None of these men will be representing Sialkot Stallions in October, but many other well-known stars will be doing. The likes of Shoaib Malik (as captain), Imran Nazir, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan and Abdur Rehman will be there to entertain the Indian crowds. Budding talents of the future, such as Raza Hasan and Haris Sohail, will also be in attendance to catch a glimpse of what is to come for them. There is then no doubt in our mind that the level of quality in the Champions League will increase with the inclusion of a Pakistani T20 side. 

R03;It is however but a small step, in a relationship between two countries that has been marred by off-field issues. The Indo-Pak relationship is one that will always be muddled by politics. It is one that we suggest needs cricket to hold it together. 

Theories over who could win the tournament are inconsequential to this article; we merely aim to highlight how the inclusion of a Pakistani side is a fine move. Logically, there can be no "Champions League" unless the best of the best are all present - no matter where their national roots may lie.

Discuss!