Yes, Kartarpur Corridor was the focal point of the connect between Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh when they met yesterday at the end of the historic journey led by the latter through the iconic Corridor. But there was another, equally interesting, subject of common interest they discovered and talked about during the short bus ride from the Pak side of the Zero Line to Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara.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 Captain Amarinder Singh 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 Captain Amarinder told Imran during the short journey, he had seen the Pakistani Prime Minister play in his cricketing days. The cricketing connect, however, went deeper, as the Chief Minister recalled.
During his conversation with Imran, Captain 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 the Captain 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 Chief Minister.The bus ride lasted less than 5 minutes, but, thanks to cricket, it was enough to break the ice between Imran and Captain Amarinder.Imran, and the Pakistan Foreign Minister, earlier received the Chief Minister and his delegation at Zero Point. Captain Amarinder hoped the journey through Kartarpur Corridor, which culminated for him in the realization of a cherished dream, would continue in the future to build a stronger connect between the two countries – one that is as powerful as Cricket, which he hoped the two sides will try to play in the true spirit of the Sport in future.