Not a rare occurrence that the schedule of ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 has been affected due to mismanagement of the host country. The tournament is scheduled to begin on the 5th of October 2023. The warm-up match between Pakistan and New Zealand is turning out to be a ‘behind closed doors’ contest which indicates that there will be no crowd for that particular match. The decision came out after the Hyderabad police showed its inability to provide sufficient security due to religious festivals taking place in the city simultaneously.
It appears that the security measures have not been taken properly and one of the crucial threats in today’s world is being ignored. Indian Cricket Team’s denial to play Asia Cup matches in Pakistan was solely on security reasons, but the BCCI is not taking any steps to provide additional protection to team Pakistan playing in India in the upcoming World Cup. Laying the blame on other groups is all the officials from the Board of Control for Cricket in India have exhibited so far and not a single statement of responsibility has been released.
On the other hand, Pakistan has remained quiet to avoid any political controversy while making the decision to participate in the tournament and has accepted the terms and conditions offered to it. With a precedent in hand, why PCB has not taken a stance on such matters where our prestige and reputation are compromised? If India were to play in Pakistan, their response would have been without any doubt intimidating. Have we forgotten the incidents when Radical Hindus had dug up the pitch before an India-Pakistan match in 1999? And how the Pakistan Cricket team bus was attacked with stones after winning a match against India in 2005 in Bangalore?
Pakistan Cricket Board has failed to advocate its rights and construct an impression on World Cricket about its potential.
Security isn’t merely another element in sports but an alarming aspect. If we talk about how far a lack of security and carelessness can push a country, there are a lot of examples that can prove that. The 2009 incident in Lahore raised security concerns over cricket in Pakistan, which resulted in a ban, and since then, it has been a struggle to achieve what was lost. The consequences have haunted Pakistan Cricket over the years and the perception is yet to be changed in many minds. India has to date not changed its stance citing terrorism reasons or linking the matter with the state’s foreign policy.
In conclusion, the Pakistan Cricket Board has failed to advocate its rights and construct an impression on World Cricket about its potential. The blame could be with ease put upon others but the idle and compliant approach towards such matters has been a failure for the Pakistan Cricket Board. There has been a lot of success since the comeback of international cricket in Pakistan in 2015, but we are still unable to host a complete tournament on our soil. The Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan will surely answer many questions and be capable of deciding the future of Cricket in Pakistan.
The writer is a sports enthusiast and a keen observer of sports across nations and can be reached at [email protected]