The World XI cricket tournament has brought with it a mixture of smiles, excitement and an atmosphere of overall festivity. Indeed the return of international players to the country has prompted almost everyone to celebrate as if it were Independence Day. Because it’s not just about the cricket. It’s a reminder of Pakistan’s resilience; its ability to weather any storm, natural or manmade.
In short, it represents triumph over a terrorism that, among other things, wishes to see cricket expelled from Pakistani soil. Indeed, the attack on the visiting Sri Lanka team back in 2009 firmly shut the doors on international cricket. Tragedy was averted only due to the coach driver’s quick reflexes. Global media became frenzied, citing security concerns as well as a civilian leadership failing to establish its writ within its own borders. Until now.
For today have we emerged victorious. The World XI squad will hopefully pave the way for the rest of the cricket world to come to Pakistan. Towards this end, the ISPR has said that it is willing to provide security to all matches organised by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), including in FATA. This must be encouraged, as it would send a clear signal to the rest of the rest of the world that the country is no longer a terrorist safe-haven.
More than anything we need this collective effort. State institutions have their role to play, as do national and international sporting teams to showcase the soft face of Pakistan while simultaneously neutralising the terrorist threat. Thus, as the World XI series has shown — it is no longer about the victory or defeat of the individual teams. It is about the role of sport as a confidence-building measure now and in the future.
We, as a country, should therefore be grateful to those who made this happen. Namely, our security forces, the government and PCB Chairman Najam Sethi, who came good on his promise of bringing bring international cricket back to Pakistan.
The writer is based in Islamabad and has done Masters in International Relations from Quaid-i-Azam University. She can be reached at [email protected]
Published in Daily Times, September 15th 2017.