SA Indian and Pakistani communities face off in cricket’s Friendship Cup

CRICKETERS from the SA Indian and Pakistani communities will face off at Kilburn Oval this Sunday in the inaugural Friendship Cup

CRICKETERS from the SA Indian and Pakistani communities will face off at Kilburn Oval this Sunday in the name of harmony.

The newly-created Friendship Cup will bring together the two migrant communities in a preview of the countries’ meeting at Adelaide Oval in the Cricket World Cup next month.

Multicultural Sports and Community Club president Faisal Chaudhry said the event was the first time the communities had come together locally for a joint event.

“The idea is to provide a platform where people from different backgrounds can come together and enjoy something in a global language, namely sport,” Mr Chaudhry said.

“Cricket is just the start, because that’s something that comes to us naturally, being from the subcontinent and if this event is a success, hopefully we can make it an annual event.”

Mr Chaudhry said future matches might include other subcontinental communities such as Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

Indian Australian Association of SA spokesman Rakesh Mohindra said the event would promote greater collaboration between the cultural groups.

“It’s an opportunity for the two communities, who are not only neighbours, but are fanatical about cricket, to come together for what will hopefully become an annual event,” he said.

Pakistani Australian Association of SA spokesman Shahyan Shabbir said the event had already improved relations between the two communities.

“This will bring the two communities together so we can work on like-minded projects,” he said.

The day will feature kids’ cricket clinics and entertainment from noon, before the match at 2pm.