Tuesday March 3rd masked gunmen in Lahore attacked a convoy carrying Sri Lanka’s national cricket team, wounding seven players and a British coach and killing five policemen and two others. The Sri Lankan cricketers were traveling to the city’s Gaddafi stadium, to commence the third day of a five-day game against Pakistan’s national side. The team bus was attacked by around a dozen militants armed with automatic rifles and grenades. About six of the Srilankan players are injured. In a stunned first response to the calamity, a member of Sri Lanka’s cricket board announced that the game had been abandoned.
Pakistan has been under several terrorism attacks in the recent years. Starting from the death of Benazir Bhutto, to the suicide bombing of the Marriott hotel and this latest attack on a cricket team. Well there was always a feeling that cricket will not be the target of the terrorism,so this attack stands out even more. Its strange Srilankan's aren't westerner's and thus the attack come more as a surprise.
It is certain that this will finally bring a stop to the international cricket in Pakaistan and impact the South Asian countries to the core. It looks India's decision not to tour Pakistan has been the right one and so have been the decision taken by Australia and WestIndies. People say that if we stop touring the countries facing terrorist attacks then we are giving terrorism an upper hand , but on the other hand what I feel that if the countries tour aren't they providing a soft target for the terrorist.
We must realize now that it is the end of the cricketing era in Pakistan. I often thought Partition was a tragedy and it would have been great had the two countries been together but now I think that Partition gave India breathing room and saved it from years of civil war. The biggest concern for India is not the Kashmir issue but it is Pakistan itself.
Coincidentally, Pakistan’s cricketing powers have been in decline. Muhammad Yousuf (who controversially converted from Christianity in 2005) one of the country's best player, has been banned from playing for Pakistan after falling out with the PCB. Two of the next best, Shoaib Akhtar and Muhammad Asif, have been periodically suspended for taking banned drugs and other misbehaviour.
Comparing all the jehadi attacks , it clearly shows that Pakistan is the country in turmoil.
1 comment:
Long time no posts!!
is it game over?
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