Jammu & Kashmir Cricket Waits For Normalcy In Uncertain Times espncricinfo.com

For over three weeks now, Milap Mewada has been trying to contact Parvez Rasool, the Jammu & Kashmir captain, over the phone. He has had no success.On August 5, the Indian government announced a slew of administrative changes for the state of Jammu & Kashmir. It sent large parts of the state – now bifurcated into two union territories – into instant lockdown and led to, among other things, restricted access to residents of Kashmir, both within and from outside.

It also impacted the cricket team’s pre-season camp at the scenic Sher-e-Kashmir Stadium, located in the middle of Srinagar. Mewada, the J&K coach, packed his bags and returned to his home on Vadodara immediately. On the same flight back was Irfan Pathan, the former Indian allrounder who took over as a mentor of the side last June. The pair had been working to get the players ready for the new season before circumstances brought sport, and life in general, to a grinding halt.