As I broke the story of the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore, I also mourned the imminent death of international cricket in Pakistan. This deadly attack simply means no international team will be willing to come and play any sport in Pakistan. What is most embarrassing is the fact that the attack was targeted at a team that was trying to help Pakistani cricket and cricket-crazed fans by agreeing to tour in a time of dire crises.
Kumar Sangakkara, Ajhanta Mendis, Thilan Samaraweera and Tharanga Paranavithana are injured and although their lives are out of danger, it was most unfortunate that these most sporting of cricketers had to face this. Only last week, during the Karachi Test, former England fast bowler Dominic Cork and Sri Lankan coach Trevor Bayliss spoke about the fool-proof security arrangements in Pakistan and pleaded international sides to come and play cricket here. What must they be thinking and doing now? Eating their words, and packing their bags to board the next flight home, I suppose.
The least the Pakistan Cricket Board and the Pakistan government can do now is issue a national, government-level apology to the Sri Lankan team and the people of Sri Lanka for this unfortunate incident – a bit more than the PCB chief saying ‘we’re assessing the situation.’
Pakistani fans can pretty much say goodbye to international cricket after this attack and dare I say, even prepare for a total boycott of all sports events in the country for the next few months.
Its really stupid all this blaming Pakistan and quiting cricket in the region!
I mean…why would the government do it on purpose?? they arent stupid! and what about the people?? whats their fault?? who wants their people killed and uncretanity in their own country?? no one!! so whats this blaming around going on for??
Like Sri Lanka never had a bombing?? and why are we apologetic??
Why do we have to bend over trying to please all the nations?? we are trying arent we?? to bring stability to our region! its not easy given the open conditions of our borders!!
so lets all Pakistanis stick together..its all about putting up a united front!!
Why should it be Goodbye Cricket.
So far, based on the what happened I would say this.
Goodbye Kafir Cricket teams playing in Pakistan.
Only when the Taliban (or whoever) attacks the Pakistan’s (or any other muslim country’s teams), I will beleive that Taliban really doesn’t like cricket.
So far the evidence does not point, that they really wanted to attack any Muslim Cricket players
Until then, it is just another attack on kafir.
Hoping that international cricket will come back to Pakistan will be equivalent to saying a dead man will become alive again. Hard luck poor Pakistani fans.
All thru this post you see Pakistanis saying sorry to the Sri Lankan team, and admiring there courage. But… 21 days after the incident, has any terrorist being caught? Have they identified who are responsible? The terrorists were allowed to escape, and are still absconding. Lots of doubts over the sincerity of the Government to solve this case. The govt definately is out of tune with the apology of layman Pakistani’s aplogy to SriLanka.
Its good there is no cricket in Pakistan, People of Pakistan should be more god fearing rather that waste time in chasing a ball.
Its common knowledge all cricketer lead non islamic life style and miss namaz, are we forgetting playboys like Imran Khan and Wasim they took pride in thier anti islam stand.
I feel the headline shud ve been ” Good Bye to any cricket in Pakistan”
Shame on police and law enforcing agencies! If our police and security agencies can’t provide security to our respectable guests, they should be thrown out of their business.
Our government and our politicians only have time for horse trading.
Its natural phenomena. ‘As you so, so shall you reap’. The activities of PCB from last 15 years, the attitude of players, gambling, liking & disliking and all those who involved in it, all are responsible for this. I have stong feelings over it and cricket might be banned in pakistan for some years.
Pakistan is a failed state and who cares if cricket is over for Pakistan.
Sam – The Taliban version of Islam is preposterous. ISLAM DOESN’T TEACH YOU TO ENFORCE YOUR WILL ON OTHERS!!
Just like India, politians have very limited agenda and vision, primarily of their own self interest. I certainly feel most sorry for the PAK cricket and good people of PAK. I am quite heartened however to see the wide ranges of protest against the governor’s rule in Punjab.
Hopefully, one day, PAK will be stable and vibrant and the leaders will pay more attention to its people’s welface rather than concentrate on how to de-stabilise India.
A healthy, prosperous and vibrant PAK is good for its people and India as well. Nothing better than PEACE.
One more thing. Government of PAK, at its highest level issue an appology and perhaps a minor TV address to let the world know it appreciates the gravity of the situation. And for God’s sake, please fire Ijat Butt, who is more interested in blaming Mr. Broad than feeling shameful for their own failures to protect their esteemed guest.
As far as PAK cricket is concerned, I will always long for Mr. Tendukar to face the devastating bowlers of PAK. Soon I hope.
The article in today’s addition of DAWN about
Jameel said ” Overcoming the local elements is easier but the foreign intervention to destabilise the country is difficult to counter as there are different resourceful intellegence agencies with short and long term objectives in the reigion.”
Jameel , here is the first step to coming out of the failed state status. THE PEOPLE TRAINED aka terrorist are pakistanis. Maybe be funded by taliban– but its pakistani citizen who is conducting the acts in the front line
Lesson two- pakistan created this implosion. They still have terror camps in the name of Kashmir freedom Fighters. What your ISI and military failed to understnd is, when you breed such extermism, they will turn inward some day. and now you have exactly that case today in Pakistan.
stop looking for excuses. It seems to therest of the world, the citizens of pakistan are not united to fight to get back their country and civil liberties.
Sam the young Jihadi said”
Anyway, Pakistan is going to be taken over by Taliban very soon.
It is futile in fighting against pure islam.
Stop the fight and avoid bloodshed.
Accept True islam!! and peace which comes with that.
Show me one country that is ruled by religion and submission to it i.e ruled by religion vs a constitution by the people. Is peaceful? Go ahead name us one… somalia? Taliban ruled afghanistan ( past years)?
Dear Sam,
Pak will not prosper with thinking like this.In taliban kind of islam, ladies will become child bearing machines, the boys will become machine gun holding zombies.
You want all the modern things like mobiles guns, vehicles.Like the past do not use mobiles, walk instead of travelling in jeeps.
We cannot say that international cricket is finished in Pakistan but still teams can realize that there are tough times for Pakistan and come here to help us like what Srilanka did. Best of luck Pakistan!
All Indian people of common sense should pray for the following ‘P’s for Pakistan.
P for Peace.
P for Prosperity.
P for Plenty.
P for Pure Heartedness.
Vijay writes”
You should have said, Islam means submission to god and not to terrorists.”
I said submit to pure islam, as proposed by Taliban.
Anyway, Pakistan is going to be taken over by Taliban very soon.
It is futile in fighting against pure islam.
Stop the fight and avoid bloodshed.
Accept True islam!! and peace which comes with that.
Is Cricket un islamic as per this LeT fatwa ??
So if this is true, all TRUE muslims should stop playing this game.
All terrorists should be publicly executed for others to learn lessons. No questions asked. Any one who is even remotely connected to Talibans should get the same treatment. These b——s have no right to be alive.
All true Pakistanis not only should mourn the martyred policemen but also mourn the demise of Pakistan as it was 60 years ago.
It is surprising that Pakistan authorities do not learn at all. Home grown terrorists are hitting everywhere, Pakistan cannot see this.The CIA has warned that UK could be the biggest victim of Pakistan terrorists as the attack on the subway has shown. 2000 potential Pakistani-British people are under CIA watch in the UK as the same people go to Pakistan for training. Now after Broad made serious accusations, Pakistan authorities will protest to ICC. Friends, accept it, Pakistan has failed and now definitely shows Pakistan as a failed state. Still the lesson is not learned, Imran Khan sees the terrorists as being afg, india or lankan. In other words the home-grown terrorists are angels, they can continue to kill – at least kafirs were involved. This is Imran Khan’s interpretation. If Pakistan does not root out these terrorist camps, soon the terrorist camps will be installed in Islamabad, which will be renamed TERRORABAD.
The sucurity apparatus put at the disposable of the lankan team is laughable. the poor policemen who lost their lives were not trained in that sort of job to fight back. Condelences to them.
pakistan cannot maintain law and order for its own people, how can it protect foreigners ? pakistan is crumbling. there is no one responsible for anything. the criminals, the terrirists, the looters and now taliban are all actively taking over the country. where is the elected govenment ? where is the army that calls itsel very strong to stop an indian invasion but has to withdraw from the heat of swat and talibans ? big mouths, but action zero, the coutry is crumbling in the west but pakistan thinks the risk is coming from the east.
terrorists have gone too far in pakistan. It is too late to stop the disintegration of pakistan.The army has given up fighting. Taliban abducted a whole squadron of the army.the government has surrendered to taliban in swat. peshawar is crumbling.slowly taliban and terrorists are taking over pakistan.how can cricket come back or any sport or any economic activity ?the bleak future awaits pakistan.its people have has given long ago to fight for its right whn the army took power. pakistan was created for muslims, Today islamic fanaticism will kill sufism and moderate islam in pakistan. there is no one to protect pakistan the whole nation is surrendering to terrorsy.
Pakistan failed to recognize terrorism is taking over Pakistan. Pakistan always felt terrorists will fight against India. After fighting India, what else do they have to fight ? Pakistan itself. The monster that Pakistan created has come home to roost. To take over Pakistan completely. The army of Pakistan will be taken over by the terrorists. The army is too weak to face terrorist. Who will save Pakistan ?
Good to see that there are still some sensible Pakistanis left in that country. There is a saying’ as you sow, so do you reap’. So much of radicalisation was going on inside that country, still you pretended that nothing was happening. Anyway, there is still some time left with you to reverse the downfall. Otherwise, the writing is clear on the wall–come back and join mother India !! No offense,just some wishfull thinking from your so-called Indian Muslim brother.
Somehow, whats really sad is that after the incident, no high officials from police, elite force and rangers were called upon for explanation, no one got sacked, no one was held responsible. This shows that how irresponsible our security institutions are. If we dont feel protected, how can we guarantee the protection for others.
I am not a security expert but the team should have been protected by the best commandos of elite force. Plus what is more sad about this whole situation that the fight continued for around 25 – 30min and no backup force were there to counter those horrible animals.
With all due respect to all of us, but with this incident, it has been a great disappointed as a Pakistani
Cricket is in our blood and will never die but we will see further fadeout of the international cricket in Pakistan.
I am still a proud pakistani and will be… and we as people, its in our hand to unite and make a better future for our great full of potential country.
Only for Imran Khan as he says it was foriegn hand…
Mr Imran Khan,
For God Sake please except that it was insiders work. or else answers these..
1. why was Pakistan’s team bus was delayed by 5 mins.
2. Why none of militants were arresetd or killed or even injured.
3. Is this the best security you have?
4. How come the Bus route was changed at the last minute.
5. Looking at CCTV footage, why was the bike on which terrorist was fleeing not intercepted by the police car which was on the same road?
6. How come there was traffic on the road when it was supposed to be a PM or president level security…
I have plenty
Musharaf says in his recent visit to India that RAW helping militants in Afghanistan.
I bet that India is the only country in the whole world that will listen against India in our own soil from the enemies … so what should we call ourselves after hearing mush allegations on us.. what are our politicians doing ?… Shame on the Indian govt for not valuing the sacrifices of our army personnel during the kargil war.
Mush is the best candidate for pak president. All the best for him.
I think the first need is Pakistani nation becomes united and have very close ties among each other. Then they stay united and combat all such forces that are unstabilizing the country.