Whither Pakistan cricket?

The decision to put the Champions Trophy back by a year is yet another slap in the face for Pakistan cricket. Coming just a few months after Australia's decision not to tour, you can only hope that it isn't an irreparable blow. At the same time, it's hard not to feel some sympathy for the ICC, pushed into a corner by intransigence on both sides.

This has been one issue where the shades of grey completely obscure the black and white. Pakistan had a strong case for hosting the event. After all, the Asia Cup had gone off without a hitch, with India's players certainly not suffering any cabin fever during the time they spent in Karachi.

At the same time, those of us that live in Asia must understand that perceptions of what constitutes a threat are vastly different in other parts of the world. It's all too easy to label players from Australia, England or South Africa chickens, as one Sri Lankan journalist did following the South African pull-out in 2006, but their concerns are legitimate ones.

The security situation in Pakistan is precarious at best, with bombs going off every other week. It certainly can't be compared to a London, Jaipur or Madrid, which were one-off terror strikes (hopefully). It's perfectly understandable that someone raised in rural Queensland or New South Wales, where the greatest threat to life is from creepy crawlies, is disconcerted by the prospect of travelling there.

With India supporting Pakistan, there was never going to be a solution. A Champions Trophy without Australia and South Africa, the two best teams in the world, would have been nothing of the sort, and the broadcasters would have been fully justified in pulling the plug if someone sought to bring in Bangladesh or Ireland as replacements.

While some would say that the Champions Trophy is nothing but a watered-down version of the World Cup that will slowly fade away in any case, the more important question concerns Pakistan. As it is, the Future Tours Programme is hopelessly biased against them, with hardly any Test cricket over the next couple of seasons. The way things are going, the chances of Australia fulfilling their commitments next spring must be rated as Twiggy-slim.

Just over a decade ago, Pakistan carried the standard for Asian cricket. But the decline on the field has been mirrored by events off it, with the country slowly being marginalised by the cricket fraternity. As Aamir Sohail said recently, maybe it's time people remembered that Pakistan is paying the price for a war on terror that Britain and Australia were and are very much part of. When it comes to harvesting the bitter fruits though, the poor farmer is left alone, with everyone else whistling a boycott tune.

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Comments

[ACY]

What this reflects is ignorance on the part of non-Asian players. The South African team once fled Sri Lanka (after being given an historic hiding) muttering darkly about 'terrorism'. Ironic, given that South African cities are riven with car jackings, random shootings, kidnappings, etc. The UK post the terrorist bombings was never avoided by the Aussies, the Kiwis, et al. I think the Champions Trophy was also sabotaged by non-Asian players who were tired of the ICC's unrelenting schedule.

To punish Pakistanis for such selfish reasons is deplorable; all the more so because the Brits and Australians have played their part in destabilizing the politics of the region. I wonder how many Aussie, Kiwi, Protea, or Windies players will avoid Pakistan if Pakistan were to run a rich IPL-like tournament. Not many, I do not think.

[Pritam Sinha]

Your apprehension is almost true in a surreal sense of the word. It really is a sad state of affairs for cricket.

Looking at a postive fallout would be it will force the bombs to go in lesser numbers to convince visitors that they are as commonplace as creepies.

The world generally is passing through a troubled time post 9/11 certainly and Pakistan just happens to be a cricket playing country.

Kust hope that it is a passing phase in time and things would be back to normal soon everywhere else including Pakistan once there is a change of guard in the USA/UK. Let's see.