Eight years and so ago, Pakistan was a relatively peaceful place to hold a cricket match. Yes there were always the odd security fears but they were over shadowed by the fact that the grounds were full of cricket mad fans and lets face it even though the night life was not all that kool even then, foreign teams would not give up a tour of this sand blasted batsmen’s paradise to take on our skiddies in green.
However all that was before the war on terror began and Pakistan joined it, with our allies England and Australia. Alas we have been paying for it in blood, sheer blood. Our cities are racked by bomb blasts because instead of dwindling away the Taliban menace has turned its cannons on the home front. True the crowds are still here which could be witnessed by the Asia cup and matches held during it went through without a glitch, but the allied teams are i am afraid still afraid!
The Champions trophy is supposed to be held by Pakistan in the near future, but already a shadow of doubt hangs over it because come what may, presidential level security and all that the allied teams are just not convinced that this country is safe for them. Well let me as a 2 decade old fan of Pak cricket clue you in, IT IS NOT SAFE HERE, IT IS NOT SAFE FOR THOSE OF US LIVING HERE TOO. Do you know who is responsible for it not being safe here anymore Symonds? It is the allied forces bloody “War On Terror”
Its easy to go watch a match in Australia or England isn’t it? Where there are no explosions happening and the fire exits are all clearly marked out in case anyone sneezes too loudly? Whilst here in Pakistan we the fans are barricaded behind steel barbed wire fences and subjected to cavity searches just to get in. We are not allowed cameras in our own stadiums while your folk lie on grassy banks and sip beer over there and tut tut when a bomb goes off and some more of us die!!
So while I understand the fact that as a normal human being, any of English or Australia’s players would fear for their safety, I would appreciate it if you please do not give us this poppy cock about Pakistan not being a deserving place to hold a cricket competition in. After 8 years of bloody mayhem in our land, with our own soldiers killing our own people in the name of your senseless war do not have the gall to sit there in your air conditioned dressing rooms and deem us all a living hell. Why you would ask? Because we made this a hell for “your war” not ours and in return for that sacrifice what do we get? We get to not hold a single international tournament because yes we are not safe enough!! Stick and carrot policy my foot!! Where is the fucking carrot here?
The above rant does not represent the PCB or any sporting body who does not give a damn, it is just this mad scribes views from the very core of his heart, written sitting in the depths of your hell.
You must’ve been real pissed while writing this. I love it… its raw and brilliant. You should be standing on a stage with a loudspeaker, preaching to the masses.