Terrorist attacks update – Pakistan unlikely to host international cricket for foreseeable future
After the shocking events of the past 12 hours in Pakistan, the ICC have unsurprisingly cast serious doubts over the future of international cricket in Pakistan. The Sri Lankan team bus and other vehicles came under fire from terrorists in an attack which killed 7 people and injured 7 Sri Lankan team members, one of their coaches and an umpire, the last of them critically. Haroon Lorgat, the ICC Chief Executive, stated that Pakistan would have to look into playing their ‘home’ tests elsewhere as no team would be prepared to travel to their country.
Even before the attacks, Sri Lanka were the only leading test nation who had shown themselves to be willing to travel to that troubled country. Last year 5 countries let it be known that they would not be prepared to send a team to the ICC Champions’ Trophy leading to the postponement of that tournament, and since then both India and Australia have withdrawn from test tours there. Sri Lanka stepped in at the last minute to replace India, a courageous gesture of goodwill which through no fault of their own has sadly been revealed as misguided.
It is very difficult to see a way forward for Pakistan now. They played no test matches last year for the very reason that teams were not prepared to go there. And that was when the fear was that players would get caught in the cross-fire of the violence, as happened to New Zealand a few years ago. This time however, we have seen cricketers directly targeted and that brings a whole new dimension.
Terrorists are now clearly using overseas cricket teams as pawns to pursue their domestic agenda. In order for Islamic militants to achieve their goals they must spread discord as widely among society as they can. Cricket is such an essential part of the fabric of that society that by bringing it to a standstill they are robbing the people of one of their last remaining forms of escapism from their country’s problems. To the terrorists, the nationality of the team targeted was irrelevant. But as long as they have dissuaded teams from coming and eliminated one of the few civilised connections Pakistan has left with their neighbours and others, then they have achieved their goals.
That is why Pakistan must not be excluded from the international scene if at all possible. Forget the fact that they play some exciting cricket and the game would be poorer without them. That is secondary at present. Complete exclusion would achieve the terrorists’ aims for them. By allowing Pakistan to continue to tour and to play ‘home’ tests in England, Dubai, the UAE or wherever, youngsters back home can still harbour dreams of playing for their country, realise that there is another way beyond the turmoil they see every day.
This may seem like a double standard when the exclusion of Zimbabwe is considered but it is a very different situation. In Zimbabwe, the concern is the activity of the government. The government are heavily involved with cricket and therefore touring the country would be regarded as offering legitimacy to Mugabe’s policies and malpractices. In Pakistan the considerations are far less political and revolve almost entirely around safety.
Pakistan have become the problem child of world cricket. Even when they are playing they seem to attract controversy and this has done them no favours in recent times. But the other boards and nations have no quarrel with the Pakistani government, nor the vast majority of the people. They clearly cannot travel there while the present situation prevails and there must be almost no chance that any World Cup games will be hosted there in 2011. But Pakistan must not be thrown out altogether.
For now, thoughts must be with those involved. The physical scars suffered by the Sri Lankan players will heal in time; the mental scars will be more long-lasting. But the biggest victim of all is Pakistan itself where gaping wounds have been inflicted. In the one area of life where they remain internationally involved in a positive sense, namely cricket, they must be offered as much support as possible.
by Stuart Peel
