The dastardly and heinous terror attack in London on early Sunday morning saw seven people being killed and 48 people getting injured and several of them battling for their lives. The attacks have been condemned by one and all including British Prime Minister Theresa May, London Mayor Sadiq Khan and all the global leaders. This attack comes on the back of suicide bombings in Manchester just over a couple of weeks. The situation has been tense and very frightening for the society.
These two attacks raise a lot of questions regarding ICC Champions Trophy, that is being played in three venues (The Oval, Cardiff and Edgbaston). The teams participated in this global event have shown a lot of restraint and have stood in support of United Kingdom. The police and the government are trying their level best to normalise the situation and tournament will go ahead as of now.
Just for a moment, think if this would have happened in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan or India. The teams would have made a lot of noise and might have pulled out immediately. The Australian team just in 2015 pulled out of Bangladesh tour, when Australian government on the basis of their security report pulled out of the tour, even though no terror or extreme attack took place before Australia’s arrival and the irony is Cricket Australia (CA) was the first one to say they will stay in England and continue their participation. Bangladesh, being the poor board doesn’t have much leeway and are on the mercy of other full members’ decision.
The attacks in Dhaka’s Holey Artisan Bakery in Gulshan Thana in 2016, which has many foreign embassies shook the country and massacred 29 people, with 18 of them being foreigners. The country suffered a great deal and there were questions whether it can host international cricket again or become another Pakistan. England cricket team raised alarms for their upcoming tour and sent their security personnel to take stock of the situation. After much deliberations and getting an assurance of a security cover, which is generally given to a head of state, English cricket team arrived and saved Bangladesh cricket from going bankrupt.
The above incidents are not isolated ones and the biggest setback has been faced by Pakistan. The cricket mad country of Pakistan lost its hosting rights in March 2009, when terrorists attacked Sri Lankan cricket bus and several Sri Lankan players were injured. Pakistan has been a no-going zone after that attack and people of Pakistan cannot see their beloved cricketers play in front of them. Sri Lanka were tormented by insurgency during LTTE reign and overseas teams used to do them charity by playing some tours and calling off other time according to their whims and fancies. The richest and powerful cricketing member Indian cricket has also been singled out and has also faced questions regarding security and preparedness.
The situation in current time is volatile one. The teams have right to tour and raise questions about security, but there cannot be hypocrisy and double standards. The Asian Bloc can’t be given step-motherly treatment and all the teams from Australia, England, South Africa and New Zealand have to be reasonable and should not indulge in one-upmanship and feel safe in their own countries, despite attacks and threats and question poor countries.
ICC Champions Trophy should go ahead to show solidarity against terror and extremism, but uniformity regarding security has to be there. If an incident happens in India, then cricket should go ahead just it is going currently in United Kingdom. The divide and discrimination should end from Western countries and its time they did some self introspection before pointing fingers at Asian bloc. Let’s hope better sense prevails and the beautiful game of cricket carries on.
