Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Cricket's Black Day

The day's cricket activities have been sadly over shadowed by the terror strikes in Pakistan. It's fortunate that all the Sri Lankan players have escaped with their lives.
We live in tough times. No one is spared. No amount of vigil and precaution is enough.
The events are a sad reflection of the political scenario inside Pakistan. The signs coming out from Pakistan these past few months are of a nation that is slipping slowly and surely in to chaos. The authorities don't seem to be in control. More over they seem to be willing to cede control to radical figures in the hope of buying peace. That seems to me an exercise in futility.
These are not normal people we are dealing with. Most of them are psychotic cases. They have become blinded by faith and have lost the ability to distinguish between right and wrong. For these people it's always going to be 'them' and 'us'. And leaving them, or rather giving them power only delays the inevitable show down and does not really solve the problem.
It is time for Pakistan to wake up and realize that these are indeed precarious times for them. A stable and peaceful Pakistan is in the interest of the entire world.
Cricket in Pakistan is undoubtedly going to suffer. I don't see any international crciket happening in that country for atleast the next 5 years. The repercussions of today's attacks are bound to be felt through the rest of the sub-continent. If rumour is to be believed there is even talk of postponing the IPL. This season's IPL coincides with the recently announced general elections and there's a general understanding that it will be difficult for the security forces to police both the cricket and the elections.
One can only hope that events such as today's attacks are never repeated in the future. I hope and pray for a better tomorrow.

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