Efforts to revive international cricket in Pakistan - Opinion
Perhaps, Pakistan is destined to suffer shortages----be it electricity, sugar or cricket. It has been two years and eight months since an international cricket match was played on the green soil. As life is dearer to all than anything else in the world,
no foreign cricketer is ready to gamble with his by playing in Pakistan where terrorism, extremist and militancy are awash.
It was a bright sunny morning of March, 2009. Team Sri Lanka were on their way to the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore for Day 3 of the 2nd Test match. As they were about to cross the Liberty Market roundabout, at least 12 armed terrorist attacked them
with heavy firing and propelling hand grenades on their team bus. In a bloody show of half an hour, 8 people including some Pakistani security personnel were killed and many others received injuries. Six members of the visiting squad suffered severe wounds.
This was the heyday that precipitated the end of International cricket in Pakistan. The Lankan http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Lions-c808, after reaching their homeland safely, pledged never to return to Pakistan to play any match. The gruesome incident sent shock waves across the global cricket
comity, and this incident rang alarm bells in the corridors of International Cricket Council (ICC), which strictly barred any overseas team to visit Pakistan, and along with that created a special Task Force to review the security situation in the Asian nation.
Pakistan cricket authorities could not justify the murderous attack or convince the international cricketers to come and play on their territory. For the last two years there has been no cricket in Pakistani grounds, which has dashed fans' hopes of watching
international cricket again, at least on their home venues.
The day of 30th March, 2011 saw archrivals, India and Pakistan, play at Mohali in the semi-final of the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/ICC-World-Cup-2011-c100625 World Cup. Along with warming up the sentiments of the cricket lovers of the two nations, the high-voltage clash kick started the famed
‘Cricket Diplomacy’.
In the backdrop of the game, the political and cricketing authorities of both the neighbouring countries had bilateral meetings in a bid to renew sporting ties. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) sent written requests to its Indian counterpart, urging them to
send Team http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750 to play in Pakistan. After some deliberations, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) refused the request.
The PCB turned towards Sri Lanka, with the belief that the last ones would become the first ones to visit http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758
Cricket (SLC) promised to revive international cricket in the country. However, later, the Lankan Lions also refused.
In the meanwhile, the Chairman of the PCB changed, as Zaka http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ijaz-Butt-c64128. He pledged to the nation that he would move everything between heaven and earth to end Pakistan’s cricket drought. The new boss paid visits to the ICC, the SLC,
the BCCI and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Bangladesh-c747 Cricket Board (BCB) to convince them to visit Pakistan. There was unanimous refusal from all quarters bar the BCB, which sent an olive branch.
Ashraf later spoke to the local media and announced that the public will have to wait a little while longer for the revival of cricket in the country.
Even though the odds are stacked against him, Zaka is still adamant of bringing cricket back to the country. He has vowed that he will not be at peace until he succeeds in bringing a foreign team to Pakistan. His efforts are on. Let us see how far he goes
and what destiny does he meet.
Disclaimmer: The contents of this article are completely based on my opinon and I am responsbile for them.
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