Is cricket back for real in Kashmir or is the valley dreaming?

Srinagar, Indian-administered Kashmir – When Wasif Ahmad, a 34-year-old shopkeeper from Srinagar, saw a billboard announcing the arrival of international cricket stars in his hometown, he promptly bought tickets and decided to shut his business on the day of the match.

Ahmad, like thousands of cricket-mad Kashmiris, cared little for the lack of glitz and glamour in the Legends League Cricket (LLC) – a franchise-based T20 cricket league involving former international cricketers – he simply couldn’t miss an opportunity to watch a live cricket match.

With the arrival of the LLC’s seven matches in Srinagar from October 9 to 16, cricket finally returned to Indian-administered Kashmir – one of the world’s most heavily militarised regions and synonymous with uprisings against the central Indian government’s control.

Ahmad, an avid cricket fan, grew up playing the game and listening to his father’s tales about the two international cricket matches that Kashmir hosted in the 1980s – but had never been to one.

“Seeing international cricketers play live [in Kashmir] felt like a distant dream to me,” Ahmad told Al Jazeera while watching the Gujarat Greats take on the Konark Suryas Odisha at Bakshi Stadium, the region’s oldest sports venue in the heart of Srinagar.

Cricket fans of all age groups formed long snaking queues outside the stadium under the stern glare of security personnel. Families with young children and groups of women flocked to watch their first live cricket match.

Inside the stadium, a vibrant crowd packed the stands ahead of the 7pm (13:30 GMT) game that stretched late into the night – a rarity in a city where nightlife has been non-existent amid decades of turmoil.

Floodlights illuminated the ground and cast a glow over the nearby streets as loud music from the stadium’s public address system, coupled with the roaring chants of the crowd, filtered out of the 30,000-capacity venue.

The presence of hundreds of armed security personnel in camouflaged uniforms and dozens of patrolling vehicles provided a stark reminder of everyday life in Kashmir – where peace and hostility often co-exist.

Despite the challenges, the weeklong cricket extravaganza seemed to have brought a temporary escape from the region’s complex and often violent history.

Cricket’s fractured history in Kashmir

Kashmir hosted its first international cricket match in October 1983, when some of cricket’s biggest names arrived in the valley as newly crowned world champions India hosted the then mighty West Indies in a one-day international (ODI) match at the Sher-e-Kashmir Stadium in Srinagar.

The game was rocked by protests and ugly scenes as the spectators cheered for the West Indians in a mark of dissent.

Some protesters entered the ground during the innings break and damaged parts of the pitch but the match was completed as the visitors won by 28 runs.

In 1986, India hosted Australia in an ODI. The visitors also found unexpected support in the Kashmiri capital and beat the hosts by three wickets.

Three years later, an anti-India armed rebellion erupted in the valley. The central government deployed nearly 700,000 troops to suppress the movement, making the region as one of the world’s most heavily militarised conflict zones.

The Muslim-majority Himalayan region is split between nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan, which rule over parts of the territory but claim it in its entirety and have fought three of their four wars over it.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed in the decades-old conflict, most of them civilians. Hundreds of security checkpoints are spread across the valley to monitor locals’ movements.

In August 2019, India scrapped a law that granted special status to the region, stripping Kashmir of the significant autonomy it had enjoyed for seven decades. The move was followed by an indefinite lockdown and a significant troop deployment to suppress protests.

International cricket’s decades-long absence from Kashmir, then, is as unremarkable as the presence of hundreds of gun-toting security personnel in the environs of Bakshi Stadium.

‘A superficial attempt to showcase normalcy’

Bakshi Stadium, named after Jammu and Kashmir’s former prime minister Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad, has been a politically significant venue since its inauguration in the 1950s.

In addition to hosting high-profile sports events, the stadium has also served as a venue for political rallies, but the armed rebellion that began in 1989 rendered the stadium non-functional and all sport events were suspended.

When India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Kashmir in March, he addressed a large crowd at Bakshi Stadium and promised a slew of developmental projects in the region.

While the LLC’s seven matches have attracted thousands of entertainment-deprived cricket fans, many locals see the tournament’s presence in Kashmir through the prism of “enforced normalcy”.

Kashmiris believe that Modi’s government has employed sport as a tool to project a peaceful image of the region, despite its fractious reality.

Indian-administered Kashmir’s Chief Minister-designate Omar Abdullah, whose National Conference emerged as the single largest winning party in the recent elections, was also present at Bakshi Stadium and insisted he would encourage the upliftment of sport.

For the thousands of cricket fans queueing at the stadium’s ticket booth, such as Seeban Farooq, the tournament’s popularity was a testament to the region’s “craze” for cricket but would do little to promote local cricketers.

“These events have little to do with the upliftment of local talent,” he said.

A young cricketer, who requested anonymity, told Al Jazeera that the LLC could “fuel the dreams” of aspiring Kashmiri cricketers – only to be crushed by the harsh reality.

“Substandard infrastructure, lack of proper pitches and minimal facilities raise serious concerns about the future of cricket development in the region,” said the young player dressed in his all-white cricket attire.

“It’s a superficial attempt to showcase normalcy while suppressing the underlying issues faced by local athletes.”

Kashmiris, like millions of other South Asians, are obsessed with cricket. The sport is an integral part of the region’s popular culture and offers locals an escape from the longstanding political tension.

In Kashmir, though, politics and cricket remain inseparable and when India and Pakistan meet on the cricket pitch, life in the valley comes to a standstill.

An underlying tension, emanating from the Kashmiri fans’ support for the Pakistani team as a means of dissent against the central government, grips the region. It’s not uncommon for security officials to detain young men over pro-Pakistan sloganeering.

The LLC, too, had its share of India-Pakistan politics when security forces evicted two young fans for chanting the names of Pakistani cricketers Shahid Afridi and Babar Azam.

Does cricket have a future in Kashmir?

Sharda Ugra, a prominent Indian sports writer, believes Kashmiri cricketers have been victims of the political situation in the valley.

“There have been spurts of official cricket activity and the emergence of young players every now and then, but it has been a matter of chance, rather than the result of regional cricket officials’ efforts to be seen as a forward-thinking organisation,” Ugra told Al Jazeera.

The Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA), cricket’s governing body in the region, has been beset with political infighting and allegations of financial impropriety.

Ugra, too, believes the hosting of the LLC is part of the “normalcy narrative”.

“It’s a lot of fun but I doubt if it will foster young talent or support or encourage young players. It’s event management, not a sustained sports policy.”

Cricket is spread across the picturesque valley but the players see little, if any, scope for the game’s development in the disputed region.

The countless lush green fields dotting Kashmir host amateur cricket matches and unofficial leagues organised by locals.

A Srinagar-based cricket coach, who did not want to disclose his name as he was employed by the local government, admitted the lack of cricket grounds forced many young cricketers to play mostly on substandard jute matting pitches.

“The Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium remains out of bounds for local cricketers, basic facilities are non-existent and coaching camps are unheard of,” he explained.

“All of these factors contribute to the lack of development of local talent and leave a gap in Kashmir’s cricketing landscape.”

Back at Bakshi Stadium, thousands of Kashmiris descended on the capital from far and wide to catch a glimpse of live cricket action despite the multilayered security presence and tense atmosphere in the valley.

Shahid Ahmad travelled 48 kilometres (30 miles) from his home in Bijbehara village, in the southern district of Anantnag, to watch Chris Gayle.

The swashbuckling West Indian opener lived up to his billing, hitting three sixes and two fours for the Gujarat Giants. While his team failed to make the final, Gayle, a charismatic cricketer who is always a crowd favourite wherever he plays, promised to return to Kashmir.

When the LLC wraps up its Kashmir leg with the final on Wednesday, Kashmiri cricket fans and players will be left wondering if they will have to wait another 39 years to step inside their “home ground”.

Zaid Ahad, a young fan watching the match at the packed Bakshi Stadium on Saturday, did not radiate optimism.

“It’s inspiring to watch big players but local boys would never be allowed to play here – that’s just the way things are here.”