Foreign Service Dispatch Regarding the People-to-People Sponsored Visit of the Pakistan Cricket Team

DO NOT TYPE IN. THIS SPACE (Security Classification) mcm FOREICN SERVICE DESPATCH FROM USTS - Kerachi 22 ULSP. NO. 0021.4 USL..- washington TO we 1958 REF USIA's Outgoing Message of July 25, 1958 41 TION DEPT. 1 Dept. IAR N I/S IOC I/R IRI ICS IPS des Only RIC D F OYAER o 8/13/58 SIATT SUBJECT TOC: People to People Program - Visit of Pakistan Crichet Team The and the USIS vas under preasure from the time the Pakistan Cricket icam announced its plans to visit the west Indies to provide grants for the merbers of the tean to visit the United States. As it us impossible to arrange such grants the assistance of the Poople to People Program was requested through the Agency. The day before his departure Nr. Kardar, Skipper of the Pakistan Cricket tear, phoned the Cultural to aak whether the stop had been arranged. The news thot the team vas being invited to visit the United States vas widely publicized and was received by the general public that takes its cricket seriously with great enthusiass. while the people of Pakistan realised that cricket was not one of the national sports in the United States, they considered the invitation a tribute to their own tear. The excellent coverage furnished the USIS Pakistan vas carried in all newspapers and the reports vere the subject of much comment. then the cricket tem participated in a panel discussion at the United States Irformation Conter on July 9, 1958 (USIS despatch Mo. 7 of July 16, 1958) the audience assembled was the largest since John Sebastim played there in 1957. At that time Mr. Kardar and other nembers of the team paid glowinc tribute to the American people and spolte varmly of their reception in the United States. The USIS believes that the Agency and the People to People Sports Committee by this means reached a large and influontial segment of Akistani people that is not always touched by other efforts. Mavaja Suleem Ahmed, Physical Education Director, University of Karachi, and Kr. W.A. Jilani, Vice President, Mational Recreation Association, among others, commented to the USIS on hov effective the visit was, and thanked the Sports Committee for its friendly gesture towards the Pakistan Cricketeers. blefford manslant EX - ClifYord Manshardt B Country Fublic Affaire AMLOG: INPORMATION COPY Retain in divinional dies or destroy in accordance with security regulations.