Terror against sport in an unravelling nation

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By Geoff Lawson, 4 Mar 2009 Geoff Lawson is a Roar Pro

Tagged:: Cricket, Geoff Lawson, Pakistan, security, Sri Lanka

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I was awoken rudely by the telephone at 6am Johannesburg time on Tuesday morning. Partially conscious and about to curse the hotel staff for an incorrect wake up time, it took a few moments to come to terms with the reality of the news that was being delivered.

I simply did not want to believe that anyone, let alone an international cricket team, could be so brazenly attacked.

It was not just the magnitude of the event, in itself horrendous, but also the fact that I was very familiar with the location and surroundings where the terrorists chose to bombard innocent policemen and cricket staff.

The Liberty roundabout is a junction on the Gulberg Main Boulevarde and the branch street that leads one way to Gaddafi Stadium and the other into Liberty market and onwards to MM Allam Road, where Lahore’s finest restaurants and cafes reside. The Main Boulevarde is wide, four lanes either way, which fits about seven cars usually across those four, with planted palm and manicured lawn separating motor vehicles and pedestrians.

The roundabout is wide and speed through it is often excessive (outside of peak hour when it crawls).

I had my first traffic accident in Lahore on the very spot on which the armed lunatics fired rockets, bullets and grenades at the cricket convoy. There were no injuries, just a scratch on Shoaib Malik’s second car.

People were killed in this scrape; innocent poorly paid, hard working policemen and soldiers with wives and families.

Luckily (or was it because the security was up to standard) no players or officials were killed. The injuries were caused by flying glass rather than flying lead.

The shock is still with me as I write this some fourteen hours later.

The chances of international cricket being played in Pakistan have been slim for quite a while.

Australia have not toured for ten years, and it may be another ten or perhaps twenty before they do so again.

The Champions Trophy will go elsewhere, but surely not to Sri Lanka where the LTTE have not finished their terror attacks in the twenty year civil war .

The 2011 World Cup is scheduled for Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Each one of those countries has civil unrest and terror alerts of a substantial nature.

Cricket Australia have bravely decided to continue with the ODI series in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, but is anywhere really safe from terrorists? Certainly New York and London have not been so in the twenty-first century.

The game of cricket can be – and has been – a vehicle for bringing people and nations together. We cannot let lunatics wear that away.

The nation of Pakistan is in turmoil at the present with a weak minority government that lacks resolve and ability. The events of Tuesday will serve only to unravel the frame of the nation even more.

I feel for the cricketers, the fans, and the officials who have been attacked and scared. I feel for all my friends in Pakistan.

I hope they are safe and well.

This is not what our sport is supposed to be about.

I look forward to a group claiming responsibility for this attack so we will know what motives could possibly lie behind this terror against sport.

==
Geoff Lawson was recently the national cricket coach of Pakistan and is a former Australian Test cricketer. He has previously written on life in Pakistan cricket.

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The Crowd Says (20) | Page 1 of Comments

Luke Broadbent said | March 4th 2009 @ 7:45am | Report comment

Nicely said, Geoff.
It is a sad case of affairs when terrorists target sport. As you say, sport brings people and nations together. When sport is attacked, much like the Munich Olympics, then you are stopping the process of reconciliation before it can even begin.
Sadly, I fear that these terrorists will win, at least for the forseeable future. Listening to the news they say that terrorists have long tried to isolate Pakistan from the rest of the world. This attack will do just that. The World Cup will probably be taken of them, while countries will not want to play there in the near future.
It’s ironic that I am writing this next to a link to another of your articles entitled, Playing Cricket in Pakistan is the Safest of Occupations. I haven’t read that article, yet, but the sentiment offered in the title seems to have, sadly, lost a lot of it’s credibility.
Hopefully Pakistan can bounce back from, but at the moment, I think hope may be all we can cling onto.

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Tony from Northbridge said | March 4th 2009 @ 8:03am | Report comment

Well, you’ve certainly changed your tune Henry. How about an apology to those (including the Australian test cricket team) whose stated motives for declining to tour Pakistan in the past? I see Luke Broadbent has picked up on your article of 20 October 2008 regarding cricket in Pakistan as being the safest of occupation. There’s no irony, just a 180 degree turnaround!

Admit you got it wrong this time Henry. We’ll admire you all the more for it.

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Harry said | March 4th 2009 @ 8:46am | Report comment

No need for point scoring at this moment Tony. The very real concerns advised and expressed by professional security experts were listened to by the ACB, we should be thankful for that and also that no Sri Lankan cricketers were killed – that is not to in anyway downgrading the lives of the brave Pakistani policeman that were lost – but the international repercussions and impact would have been far worse had the terrorists succeeded in killing Sri Lankans and the umpires.
Geoff Lawson is personally affected, and must be going through a very tought time at the moment. His article is well written and I agree with the sentiments.

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Spiro Zavos said | March 4th 2009 @ 9:22am | Report comment

Harry is right. From the perspective of the time, Geoff Lawson was correct. Even Imran Khan insisted that cricketers were safe in Pakistan because the terrorists would know that if they attacked players they would lose all their credibility with the people of the street, the disaffected who they want to influence.
Hopefully now the Pakistan government and intelligence services will start to concentrate on eradicating the terrorists instead of giving some support to them, as they have in the past.

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eric said | March 4th 2009 @ 9:33am | Report comment

Tony, is that your priority? An apology from Geoff Lawson? You’re not concerned about the disaster this is for cricket and Pakistan generally? Or the loss of life of those protecting the cricketers?

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Worlds Biggest said | March 4th 2009 @ 9:45am | Report comment

A terrible state of affairs in Lahore. The bravery from the Bus driver & ultimate tragic death saved the umpires, just courageous stuff indeed. Henry I thought Slats comments ” Henry might have egg on his face ” this morning on 2KY were a tad unfair. As for the future of Cricket in Pakistan, no team will tour there for many years, could be a decade.

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Dave O'Neill said | March 4th 2009 @ 10:10am | Report comment

I Listened to Imran Khan’s comments on enough rope and while he projected a similar view to Geoff he didn’t point out certain players. Ofcourse the biggest wory isn’t an apology from Geoff but if you are going to make remarks you must stand by them. This is a open forum for sport lovers and while i’m deeply affected that something i love so much has been tarnished by terrorism i still feel angry that sportsman i admire were questioned for the decision not to tour.

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Brett McKay said | March 4th 2009 @ 10:10am | Report comment

Goeff, I’ve just written on another thread that while I often disagree with you on a lot of things, you are well entitled to credit for writing what would have been a difficult piece, given your views on this particular subject.

And Harry, you are very much on the money. Your “no need for point scoring at this moment…” comment certainly stopped me from writing what I (and I suspect many others) was probably tempted to say.

Perspective is everything I guess, and like so many have said, that Pakistani police and civilians have died in this shocking attack is truly tragic. I do hope all involved and especially those injured are getting the help and assistance they will need.

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drewster said | March 4th 2009 @ 12:33pm | Report comment

Now would be the time to support the Pakistan and Sri Lankan cricket players and their controlling bodies. Anyone associated with cricket in these 2 countries must be stunned and in shock let alone angry that “Low Lifes” could do this and effectively isolate Pakistan from any sport being played there. Point the finger at the Cowards responsible for this when they have the courage to own up. The entire cricket world should unite and pay tribute to the Police, Soliders and civilians who lost their lives in this tragedy. May cricket rise way above this and show the world, sport is one of the few things that can bring people together. To the brave who have fallen RIP

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Who Needs Melon said | March 4th 2009 @ 12:52pm | Report comment

I’m sorry. I’m backing Tony from Northbridge and Dave O”Neill.

Brett you’ve diplomatically not agreed with Tony but also implied (I think correctly) that many others are thinking the same thing without saying/writing it.

If it was fair for Geoff Lawson (a respected figure and knowledgable journalist) to impugn the character of those who thought it was NOT a good idea to go to Pakistan then don’t tell me it’s not fair to expect an apology.

eric, it’s not a question of “priorities” – obviously we are concerned with all sorts of things but calling for an apology doesn’t compromise anything else.

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