Mission tourism: I-Day cricket in Swiss Alps

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Indians appear to be moving up in the world, both literally and metaphorically, judging by an India versus England cricket match held yesterday on Independence Day on Jungfrau, 3,454m high up in the Swiss mountains.

Kapil Dev, who led India to another historic win, called the match a “historical event” and an “outstanding experience”.

The idea is to promote Indian tourism in Switzerland, especially “hot love in a cold climate”.

“A lot of young couples on honeymoon come here already,” Daniela Fuchs, a spokesperson for the promoters, told The Telegraph today.

The Swiss would like to see many more and there are a number of ways in which Indian couples can get cosy.

Some special offers will be heavily advertised in India to mark the centenary of Jungfrau Railways — this sweeps holidaymakers into the scary but spectacular mountain peaks — with “two-for-one” discounts.

A typical offer states: “Two people can stay overnight in a hotel and receive a ski pass for the price normally paid by one person. The offer is valid for two nights, from 5 to 24 December 2009 and 15 March to 18 April 2010. With this promotion, Jungfrau Railways intends to strengthen its presence in the Indian market.”

Those hankering for desi food can always pop into the Bollywood Restaurant which has mysteriously materialised, complete with an Indian chef, on top of the Jungfrau. But those couples who would rather not be recognised may find it prudent to give it a miss for there is never any shortage of Indians — even on top of a Swiss mountain.

For example, for yesterday’s game, Indian tourists and autograph hunters were out in force and went “crazy” when the ball cleared the boundary snow.

The 45-minute, six-a-side “fun cricket match” was held on a 100m x 70m wide field of ice using a “special ball”, heavier than a tennis ball but not the usual 5.5oz ball that might have sunk into soft snow.

While Mansur Ali Khan, the erstwhile Nawab of Pataudi, and Farokh Engineer, officiated as umpires, the Indian team consisted of stars of yesteryear — Kapil (who did need his dark glasses so he could see the ball as the sun bounced off the slabs of ice), Ajay Jadeja, Sandip Patil, Roger Binny, Anshuman Gaekwad and Syed Kirmani.

The “England” team, made up of players who now live mostly in Britain, included Alvin Kallicharan, Geoff Howarth, Chris Broad, Neal Radford, John Emburey and Collis King.

“Since Indians love cricket, we thought we would hold a cricket match,” said Daniela. “We flew in the Indian cricketers from Delhi and Mumbai. They played hard and, luckily, the Indian team won by 4 runs.”

It was left to Pataudi’s actress wife and India’s censor board chairman Sharmila Tagore, to provide the glamour.

“She told me that she has come to Switzerland in the past for several of her films,” said Daniela.

Indeed, once upon a time Switzerland used to be almost the only place abroad where Hindi film song-and-dance routines were shot before the UK, Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, Singapore and America got in on the act.

The match was sponsored by Swiss International Air Lines, with help from Beyond Boundaries, Switzerland Tourism, Interlaken Tourism and Longines.

The Jungfrau Region, home of the awe-inspiring Eiger, Mönch & Jungfrau peaks in the Alps, is popular with holidaymakers who have traditionally based themselves in Interlaken, Grindelwald, Wengen and Mürren.

The sixth James Bond movie, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969), starring George Lazenby as British agent 007, was filmed in Schiltorn in the Jungfrau region of central Switzerland.
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