LOLLYWOOD WINS!!

Indo-Pak star match bowls over crowd
By Prerna Suri (Khaleej Times)

19 March 2004

DUBAI - Bollywood action hero Sunil Shetty and Pakistani rock star Salman Ahmed, captained India and Pakistan respectively for a thrilling celebrity cricket match which had the crowds constantly at their feet at the Sharjah cricket stadium on Thursday(18.3).

The IIFA 'Celebrity Peace Cricket Match' - a one-day match played between Indian and Pakistani film stars - saw fans from both the countries cheering their hearts out for the two teams, who played with the intention of promoting love and friendship between the two countries.

Said Sonu Nigam, the dimple-cheeked singer, "I haven't practised my cricket in ages, and am just happy to be here. I think it's high time that we put our petty rivalries aside and move on towards building a more prosperous relationship between us."

Thousands of screaming fans welcomed the stars with many of them jostling with one another to catch a glimpse of their favourite actors and possibly, even click a picture with them. "I just shook hands with Sohail Khan and I'm feeling on top of the world as I absolutely love his movies," said Iqbal, an eight-year-old. Winning the toss, the Pakistanis decided to bat first with Salman Ahmed and Salim Sheikh opening the match.

Sunil Shetty sent the crowds dizzying when he caught a magnificent ball, sending Saud back to the stands. A surprise visit by Benazir Bhutto boosted the morale of both the teams and further promoted the idea of peace and harmony amongst Indians and Pakistanis.

The match had its 'thrills and spills' moments with the crowd cheering the team at every ball thrown.

"I'm an Indian, but I'm rooting for the Pakistani team to win as I feel that this is a friendly match and no hard feelings should be fostered between both the teams. I'm sure that this step will definitely bring the people closer together and we should have more events like these promoting peace in the region," said Kapil Mehra, a visitor from India.

From the young to the elderly, nearly everybody cheered when a sixer or a four was scored by any of the team members. Wishing the teams the best for the match, Wiz Sabbas Joseph, Founder and Director of Wizcraft, said "We have received an overwhelming response from the UAE audience for this event since it is for a charitable cause."

The charity match was jointly organised by Sunil Shetty's production house Popcorn Entertainment and Wizcraft International Entertainment, organisers of the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards.

Proceeds for this year's match will be donated to the IIFA trust in India and Imran Khan's cancer hospital in Pakistan. The IIFA Trust benefits families of those who are injured or who have their lost their lives while working in the Indian Film industry.

The sponsors for this event were NECC (National Egg Coordination Committee - India) with Damas and Khaleej Times as associate sponsors.

The telecast partners in India are Sahara Manoranjan TV and GEO TV in Pakistan.