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One cannot help but be nervous for a foreign team coming to play here and all of the responsibility of their safet
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has indicated that it would like to send a foreign team to Lahore to play cricket, which would mark Pakistan’s first actual home game in eight long years, with the exception of a one-off home game against Zimbabwe in 2015. The possibility of receiving a World XI team is certainly exciting. The suggestion has been backed by legendary cricketers and the ICC trophy triumph has given impetus to this possibility. It is crucial now to keep that momentum going.
Understandably, the matches are to be played strictly in Lahore. Karachi’s name is still vastly synonymous with danger and entertainers frequently shy away from stepping foot there. Comedian Jeremy McLellan, who has risen to social media fame, and joked following Pakistan’s cricket win last week that the winner would get rights to Kashmir, is also planning a visit to Pakistan, but limited to Lahore. The security situation in Pakistan, although having improved, is still bleak. Especially against the triple attacks on Friday, June 23, it may be assessed that conditions are still too precarious for international cricket to return to Pakistan in 2017. It would be enlightening if our PM could comment on the prospect of international cricket returning against the backdrop of these uncontrollable acts of terrorism against Pakistanis of various faiths and races. One cannot help but be nervous for a foreign team coming to play here and all of the responsibility of their safety, particularly reflecting the public relations nightmare that would exist if something unseemly were to happen.
Regardless of the jokes, anxieties, and fears, however, we are proud of this one small step towards the possibility of welcoming foreign teams and more diversity on our land. Perhaps this will serve as motivation for our security forces to improve their competence. And while we still have grave issues confronting us, cricket has always been momentous in uniting the country.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 26th, 2017.
Understandably, the matches are to be played strictly in Lahore. Karachi’s name is still vastly synonymous with danger and entertainers frequently shy away from stepping foot there. Comedian Jeremy McLellan, who has risen to social media fame, and joked following Pakistan’s cricket win last week that the winner would get rights to Kashmir, is also planning a visit to Pakistan, but limited to Lahore. The security situation in Pakistan, although having improved, is still bleak. Especially against the triple attacks on Friday, June 23, it may be assessed that conditions are still too precarious for international cricket to return to Pakistan in 2017. It would be enlightening if our PM could comment on the prospect of international cricket returning against the backdrop of these uncontrollable acts of terrorism against Pakistanis of various faiths and races. One cannot help but be nervous for a foreign team coming to play here and all of the responsibility of their safety, particularly reflecting the public relations nightmare that would exist if something unseemly were to happen.
Regardless of the jokes, anxieties, and fears, however, we are proud of this one small step towards the possibility of welcoming foreign teams and more diversity on our land. Perhaps this will serve as motivation for our security forces to improve their competence. And while we still have grave issues confronting us, cricket has always been momentous in uniting the country.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 26th, 2017.