What now for cricket?
Following the dastardly attacks on the Sri Lankan cricket team and accompanying officials in Lahore, all of us will rightly feel that this is no time to be talking about sport. The horrors that everyone went through and what the families of the bereaved are now experiencing can only be imagined.
I have never bought into the theory fashionable in some parts of the western world that life in the developing world is cheap. Having grown up as a child in that part of the world, I am very aware that life there is very different to the west and, for the vast majority, much more difficult. But it is just as valuable.
But even amidst the fearful carnage, the implications for cricket, though secondary, cannot be ignored.
The first question that always comes up in such situations is 'what is the International Cricket Council doing?' To be fair to that organisation - and charitable thoughts for cricket's international body do not come easily - it has very limited powers. For example, the Test series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka was organised by the country's cricket boards. The ICC's input was limited to providing umpires and match referees.
Nevertheless, it is significant that David Morgan, president of the ICC, has said in the wake of Tuesday's incident that it is hard to see international cricket return to Pakistan in the foreseeable future. This may have profound implications for ICC-run tournaments like the 2011 World Cup, 14 matches of which are due to be played in Pakistan, and the Champions Trophy.
In the years since terrorism took root in the country, Pakistani cricket officials and supporters have always argued that whatever happens no terrorist would ever dare target cricketers. Clearly, that argument can no longer be sustained.
It is hard to see how Pakistan, at least for some time, can avoid becoming a no-go area as far as cricket is concerned. It had already become so for the Australians and even Indians. Sri Lanka agreed to play in Pakistan following India's decision not to tour following the Mumbai attacks, but there was much of a pick-up-and-play element about it, the programme of matches showing the impromptu nature of the series.
It should be pointed out that the Sri Lankans were making their second visit to Pakistan in weeks, having gone there first to play several one-day matches before returning home for the long awaited series against India.
It is perfectly understandable that Pakistani cricket authorities wanted the series against Sri Lanka to take place. Just before the Indian tour was cancelled, the Pakistani board signed a $141m deal with a Middle East television network. It was because of this deal that an international cast of broadcasters, including former England star Dominic Cork, was brought to Pakistan to commentate on the series against Sri Lanka.
The impression Pakistanis were trying to create was that life, at least round the cricket field, was normal. We now know it isn't. Now to keep their cricket going they will have to play away from Pakistan. They have done that before and plan to do so again, taking on Australia in Abu Dhabi and Dubai in April.
But there are two new and very worrying things about the latest events. Even allowing for the fact that there can never be absolute security for anybody, hastily-arranged matches against the backdrop of the situation in Pakistan must make security even more difficult. Also, it would seem the perpetrators must have had frighteningly good intelligence about what was going on.
The really worrying thing - and this extends beyond cricket to all sports - is that in the most major way since the Munich attacks of 1972, a specific sporting team has become the target of terrorists. If this is a new trend, then our comforting belief that sport is different and can still unify could also be under threat.
I'm 
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Sympathies go out to all the Sri Lankans, Pakistanis and Brits who have been affected by this. It has hit me more acutely than many other incidents of terrorism because they are people whom I have watched and seen first hand.
I can only see this incident having the inverse effect that the orchestrators wanted - this will shed light on the state of affairs in Pakistan, and offers no scope for sympathy. Perhaps this will be the moment that Pakistan looks to restore order.
I don't understand what you mean when you say that:
I have never bought into the theory fashionable in some parts of the western world that life in the developing world is cheap. Having grown up as a child in that part of the world, I am very aware that life there is very different to the west and, for the vast majority, much more difficult. But it is just as valuable.
Firstly, who says that? Someone famous? Is it the opinion of your readers? I would certainly find it hugely insulting to be associated anywhere close to that view. And if it is your belief, why air it here?
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After some of your 'staggering' Stanford revelations usually preceeded by 'I have learned that...' and other shadowy language, we're back to reality again. Good show.
Firstly, what has happened is vile.
However, I do find it amusing that you criticised the ECB for going with Stanford yet it's apparently OK for the PCB to go ahead and sign a huge deal with a Middle Eastern TV company at a time when practically nobody wishes to come to Pakistan for safety reasons, and to attempt to play a series that you say has very little to do with the ICC. Presumably this series was out of kilter with the agreed FTP schedule. This series was organised principally for the PCB's financial benefit, nothing more. Where's the real difference in wanting the series played between that and the Stanford series with England?
Personally I think Pakistan is a country with as many political problems as Zimbabwe. There isn't the same human rights issues going on but the political landscape is one best described as 'absolutely mashed'. It would be foolhardy to hold any World Cup games there and neutral venues is the only option.
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Sigh. It doesn't feel like the right time to 'Fisk' you again but your sweeping statement:
"the theory fashionable in some parts of the western world that life in the developing world is cheap."
is so sweeping, so provocative and so unsubstantiated that it just can't be allowed to stand unchallenged.
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I agree with Stinpake over the comments on the west world thinking life in the developing world is cheap - I have never come across this view in my entire life and find it revolting if anyone thinks along those lines. That statement is very controversial and I wouldn't blame people from being highly offended.
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Point of order, Dominic Cork isn't an "ex-player" - he signed a two-year contract with Hampshire recently.
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I don't know if this has been reported anywhere - but I seem to remember that the England cricket team were due to be staying in the hotel where the Mumbai attacks took place last year. Apparently there was a last minute change in their plans and they went to Bangalore instead.
In light of recent events I don't think it would be unreasonable to suggest that there is a chance that they were the original targets of the atrocities in Mumbai.
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I agree with stinpake that your comments about westerners' perception of the value of the lives of people in the developing world need to be clarified. You call it "fashionable" and yet I've never once heard even a hint of such a disgusting notion. We in the west are horrified that such an attack took place, and that the dead are apparently all Pakistanis, and the intended victims mostly Sri Lankan, doesn't reduce the horror one jot.
I don't think such a claim can go unchallenged, and requires some evidence from you to back it up.
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How have all of those commenting never heard the notion of 'life is cheap' before? It may be an odious concept, but I suggest you search for: "life is cheap" developing countries - on google, a disappointingly large number of results.
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Regarding that sweeping and provocative statement that Mihir has made I have to admit that there are people out there who do think that within the UK, but personally there is most certainly not enough to be able generalise it as people within the western world and it is wrong to use this. Obviously that is just my opinion from my experience and others may have differing experiences.
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I can’t, for the life of me, understand the debate over the "cheap life" talk. These are the times when we should all offer our deepest of sympathies to all those affected, and hope this is a one-off incident.
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Whole blog ruined by the wholly inappropriate statement that somehow a Western viewpoint would belittle the carnage in Pakistan due to a "fashionable" theory which is not substantiated in any way.
If anything it would appear for all of their ideological purity it is not Westerners that view life as cheap but the terrorists themselves.
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I think the term "life is cheap" is probably a view held by a number of people, hopefully a minority, but I doubt there's any geographical focus to it - people who think life is cheap can live anywhere.
I do however feel it has a media feel to it - it's short and snappy and soundbite-ish. It sounds olike a book title, and may well be one.
So while it's a reprehensible view in itself, its prevalence can be put down to over-use by the media, and as such, certain journalists (not talking about Mihir here by the way) are being disingenuous in the extreme when they condemn its "widespread" use.
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Of course Pakistan is used to terrorism in recent years, but now that the national sport has been attacked those dithering about whether they support the islamic extremists or the government might just have decided enough is enough.
If the very non-religious soul of Pakistan has been attacked, the one thing no one thought terrorists would dare go near, then maybe the tide of public feeling will sway towards the religious moderats.
Something good may come of this, even if it is not a sporting one.
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longlivekingjose - you're right - this is the time to be remembering those affected, but I don't think that particular turn of phrase should go unchecked either.
My thoughts go out to everyone who has been caught up in this incident one way or another.
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gordonjlegg - if I google for "the moon is made of green cheese" I get a disappointingly large number of results, that doesn't make it a fashionably held belief. I hardly think we're going to see any headlines that read "man finds controversial views on internet" as the existance of self-important bigots on the web is not new, and hardly representative of the world at large.
This terrible tragedy has hit home the despicable lengths that some bloodthirsty people will go to to cause hurt to strangers. It's a bad day for sport, but a much worse day for the families of those policemen who will never be going home. Never mind the players; it is the people who put their lives on the line for the safety others that deserve our respect the most.
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I have many Sri Lankan friends who feel utterly heart-broken by the attacks today. I would hazard a guess to say that the vast majority of Pakistani people will feel the same way. For the Sri Lankan Cricket team to be the only ones daring enough to tour the country, and be subsequently attacked because of that is unbelievable. I can’t see Pakistan hosting any future sporting games/tournaments in the near future. Sport and politics should never come together in this way. It has damaged not only Pakistan’s image, but also Crickets. The team are extremely lucky that they got out alive, unfortunately the same cannot be said for their security entourages.
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There are many in Western circles who think our own elected leaders and corporate heads go around with a 'life is cheap' attitude with regard to members of their own country. Witness many American attitudes to Mexico for instance. It does feel like Mr Bose is trying to characterise the West as being hugely patronising toward the like of Pakistan. By all mean go with that belief if you're addressing a bunch of fools but you're writing on a cricket blog with cricket fans reading, fans who appreciate Tendulkar for being a genius with the bat, fans who watched Waqar and Wasim destroy other teams. The paragraph that has gotten some ire is one that feels decidedly out of place when you consider the audience this blog goes too.
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You imply that this is the first attack against a touring cricket team in Pakistan. I remember that in 2002 there was an attack on a coach leaving the New Zealand s team hotel. This killed several French military technicians who were staying in the hotel. This left just before the New Zealand s team coach. It seems to me that the terrorists were more likely to be trying to get at the New Zealand cricket team, and got the wrong coach. This is the reason why both New Zealand and Australia will not tour Pakistan.
So it isn't the first time this has happened. It is a shame that Pakistani cricket fans will not get the chance to see international cricket in Pakistan for a long time.
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Pakistan is definitely in the wilderness now in ALL sporting arenas, cricket being the No 1.
No player / professional or amateur will set foot on their soil now, nor any foreign businessman who values his life.
It seems that there is potenetial for Terrorist attacks everywhere now, fuelled by hatred for the West, particularly America.
A very sad state of affairs as 99% of the population are law abiding citizens.
I am very glad that there has been no loss of life. Good luck to the Sri Lankan's.
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This event has been appalling, but was not hard to predict. When the England team debated returning to Mumbai in December, it was evident that the attraction of having sporting stars concentrated in one place might prove tempting for the terrorists. As it happened, the tour went off peacefully and everyone won: England showed solidarity with the Indians; and exciting series ensued; and there was a huge thaw in BCCI-ECB relations.
For years now sides have become increasingly nervous about touring an increasingly unstable Pakistan. Contrary to rumours, tours were not cancelled only by teams of WASPs, but by teams of all hues and persuasions. The Sri Lankans, perhaps thinking that their multi-ethnic, asian background would make them less a target than teams of countries that provoke considerable rejection and, at times, hatred in Pakistan, bucked the trend and have paid the price.
On the one hand you do not want the terrorists to win. Ever.
On the other, if players fear for their safety - actually, this is a myth, it's usually their families back home who are fearful and say so in no uncertain terms - how can they be expected to perform in a hostile environment?
Pakistan have been riding a slippery slope for some years now. The security situation in the country has been deteriorating steadily and their team has paid the price for it. A side that has given us players like Abdul Qadir, Imran Khan, Zaheer Abbas and Wasim Bari is struggling to find opponents home or away and there is an increasing danger that disillusioned players will look at the money in T20 and abandon international cricket. Even when Test cricket has been played it has been in increasingly empty stadia.
However, there is a solution. Pakistan can play Tests and ODIs in England. The ECB would stage them willingly. There is a large and enthusiastic immigrant community that will fill the grounds to support their idols and the PCB would not have problems finding sponsors and TV coverage. Money would go into the empty PCB coffers and the team would play in front of noisy and enthusiastic local support. The grounds would get to host major matches, bringing in useful funds and the ECB would undoubtedly get its 10%, so everyone would win. The only handicap would be the fact that the pitch and weather conditions would not be ones that the players are used to, unless they have had a county contract in England, but the natural Pakistani talent can get over that obstacle and the benefits surely outweigh the loss of home advantage.
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"I have never bought into the theory fashionable in some parts of the western world that life in the developing world is cheap."
What makes this theory fashionable? Who has suggested this? please source your claims when they defame an individual or people.
"The really worrying thing - and this extends beyond cricket to all sports - is that in the most major way since the Munich attacks of 1972, a specific sporting team has become the target of terrorists. "
Atlanta 1996 Olympic bomb attack and the fatality that occured doesn't count?
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What I find really scary, and it seems to be something that hasn't been picked up on yet, is that the Indian team were originally due to be in Pakistan, the Sri Lankans being there now as replacements. Obviously, we have no way of knowing at present whether they had been the original targets, but with the tension between Pakistan and India as it is, the possible repercussions had the attack been on the Indian team are too awful to imagine.
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Personally i do not think that Pakistan should be banned from cricket alltogether, however i do think that until the situation in pakistan improves dramatically (and that could be a long long time) then Pakistan should be banned from playing home matches in Pakistan, and play them in neutral venues, Ive heard the UAE being mentioned las a possible venue ong before these atrocious events occured.
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What happened today was disgusting and I can fully understand teams now not wanting to go to Pakistan for matches on security grounds. However, the same issue exists in India - as one poster has already suggested, the England team may have actually been intended targets in Mumbai. But the English team went back there as an 'act of solidarity with the Indian people'. This is rubbish, it's clear the only reason they went back is so as not to cut themselves off from the potential riches of the IPL. That too is disgusting.
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as a possible venue long before these atrocious events occured.
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Volley: So KP went round the squad saying "if you don't return to India, I won't get my millions from the IPL"? No wonder not a single player refused to return. It was not solidarity with India, it was solidarity with KP!
Incidentally, how many England players of the 16 in the squad have IPL contracts?
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As someone said, something good may come out of this.
Terrorists may loose locals support and respect towards the so called "Jehad".
Imagine, if the indian team as scheduled went to pakistan and this happened. That would have surely started a war between two countries, and perhaps on the larger scale.
Does anyone think, this has anything to do with developements in Shri lanka aganaist tamils?
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As someone who "lives in the west" I'd like to point out that neither I, nor anyone I know holds the belief that life is cheap in the developing world. If some people believe that then that does not make it "fashionable".
If we took Mr. Bose's argument to the next stage we could say that it is "fashionable" for muslims to think life in the west (and their own lives for that matter) is cheap, or expendible, hence the suicide attacks in the US, Madrid, London, Israel and others. But of course this would be a ridiculous statement to make, as clearly the muslim world does not generally consider life to be cheap.
I know I've made a rather off-topic comparison there that it not exactly in very good taste considering the events of the day (which is what the blog is about after all), but it's this notion of it being "fashionable" that some parts of the western world consider life in the developed world to be cheap that just doesn't seem to ring true to me.
Joe_Green (post 29): in fairness to Mihir he does state "a specific sporting team has become the target of terrorists". From memory the Atlanta bombings weren't aimed at any team in particular (happy to be proved wrong if the mind is playing tricks though).
Deepest sympathies to the families and friends of the dead. This is a terrible tragedy.
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"Pre-moderation - every single message is checked before it appears on the board. All of the BBC's children's message boards are supervised in this way. "
Does this blog fall under children's message board?
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Stargazer - don't be so narrowminded. Every player is a potential participant in the IPL - do you think the other players are not playing out of choice? If not selected this year, they may get a chance next year, or the year after - but they'd never get a chance if they refused to play in India. Before the IPL, England have refused to play - what happened to solidarity then? And now, what about solidarity with the Pakistani people - will England offer to play a series there? Get your head out of the sand.
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madeiraman57, post 27: unfortunately there has definitely been loss of life
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May be its moderated by Children..
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To those who think that the following comment was unfair:
"I have never bought into the theory fashionable in some parts of the western world that life in the developing world is cheap."
The comment was an observation and a valid one. To ignore that apathy - at best - does not exist in the western societies about non-western, mostly poor societies, will be like dreaming in color.
This writer, having lived in a western country for the last forty years, can certainly attest to that observation.
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Why would anyone want to play Cricket in Pakistan now?
The Sri Lankan players knew they could potentially lose a Cricket match here. However, they didn't expect to potentially lose their lives.
I hope no cricket is played there for a very long time.
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To Volley:
Is there a suggestion here that the English players would have risked their lives or limbs for IPL?
Also, since all of the players returned, is there a suggestion that ALL the returning English players have lucrative IPL contracts?
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Some of you have taken issue with my claim that it was fashionable to say life in the developing world is cheap.
This was a view expressed by many at one stage. To give you one example, let me quote what General William Westmoreland, commander of US forces in Vietnam, said in the 1970s.
"The Oriental doesn't put the same high price on life as does the Westerner. Life is plentiful. Life is cheap in the Orient."
Hearts and Minds, the documentary in which he expressed these views, went on to win an Oscar.
As I said in my original blog, I obviously do not agree with such views and I'm not saying this view is held in relation to these attacks in Pakistan. Nor am I saying that this view is currently prevalent in the western world.
I'm sorry to say though, that this is a view I've heard expressed in the past.
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I'll take issue with that your explanation, Mihir, and I won't be alone.
How can you provide one quote from an American general in the 1970s as evidence that it is 'fashionable' to think this way? And it won an Oscar? In 1974.
That's 35 years ago. The world has moved on.
Does it matter that you disagree? Why air those thoughts; would you have done so had you not felt them prevalent enough to at least acknowledge them?
"Nor am I saying that this view is currently prevalent in the western world"
"I have never bought into the theory fashionable in some parts of the western world that life in the developing world is cheap."
Can those two sentences be reconciled with one another?
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Volley, maybe I prefer not to be so cynical, nor to engage in comments that are potentially libellous. In fact, very few of the England Test squad were serious candidates ever to play in the IPL (especially the ones who are no more than 2 or 3 years from international retirement, which is a significant number) and to state that the motive for returning to India was "disgusting" needs to be backed-up.
I agree that there were more reasons than just solidarity - political expediency played its part, although it was far from the principal motive - but to accuse the team of trafficking in the misery of a bloody terrorist outrage for personal benefit may seem a little harsh to the less extreme on this Blog. India, overall, is a stable, functioning democracy that has always been felt to be a tour destination that is a major part of a rounded cricketer's education and very career-enhancing (that was true long before the IPL or ICL ever existed).
Pakistan, unfortuntately, is a different case entirely. The country is on a rapid downward spiral to being a failed state. However, today's attack will hit home massively in Pakistan because hospitality to ones guests is a basic tenet of Islam and to have your guests attacked and harmed while in your care is a disgrace that will be deeply felt.
Whether or not some good will come of this is uncertain. Right now I can only suspect that the Pakistan squad and much of the population of the country are in the depths of despire and fear becoming pariahs. The ECB can and undoubtedly will show solidarity by agreeing to hold neutral Tests along the lines that I set out in my post.
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Imran Khan has been hugely disappointed with his country's efforts to protect the Sri Lankan cricket team and so he should be. Individual Pakistani ministers are afforded more protection and not to be able to organise sufficient cover for such high profile targets is shameful.
141 million dollars is mentioned in a TV deal and yet these guys cannot cover the basics.
The Pakistani government guaranteed the safety of their guests and they have effectively ignored the most fundamental of their responsibilities and quite possibly because of funding issues.
I do hope their shame at these frightening events motivates them to re invent themselves on the world stage as politicians of conscience rather than of self interest.
I do hope so as Pakistan could be cast to the wilderness for a very very long time.
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"This was a view expressed by many at one stage. To give you one example, let me quote what General William Westmoreland, commander of US forces in Vietnam, said in the 1970s.
"The Oriental doesn't put the same high price on life as does the Westerner. Life is plentiful. Life is cheap in the Orient."
Hearts and Minds, the documentary in which he expressed these views, went on to win an Oscar.
As I said in my original blog, I obviously do not agree with such views and I'm not saying this view is held in relation to these attacks in Pakistan. Nor am I saying that this view is currently prevalent in the western world.
I'm sorry to say though, that this is a view I've heard expressed in the past."
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So why not pull out some quotes relating to slavery in the 19th then? Why not some quotes relating to the fight for female equality? Both are equally as irrelevant to the events in Pakistan as the Westmoreland quote. I simply can't see any relevance in the quote you provided to the situation in Lahore today.
(For those who'd like to learn more about Westmoreland, here is an interesting link --> http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0720-26.htm)
If the argument is that there are people who look down on those in developing countries, I'll agree. Your choice of language over such opinions being 'fashionable' is potentially inflamatory. Anyone watching the news break last night as I did in the small hours of the morning would have been shocked by it. The unanimous opinion here on your blog and all over 606 is one of anger toward the attackers, sympathy for Sri Lanka and also sympathy and empathy for the people of Pakistan.
Instead, you pretty much denigrate the Western world early on in your blog. When the majority of your readers are from the West and extend their sympathies toward the people of Pakistan, your words is decidedly insensitive. In this instance, it isn't Western people who have viewed life as cheap. It has been those wielding guns, weapons and rockets, using them to murder innocent people and to threaten other innocent parties. Your words should have been striking at them for their cowardice, not some cheap snub to a 'fashionably' racist Western culture that is then followed up with a baffling quotation in response.
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Mihir, another thought occurs - if you really feel that you've heard the aforementioned view enough times to mention it on this blog, perhaps it's time to look for some new sources...
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I do agree with Mihir that "life is cheap" in the Asian countries. Actually he pointed out that in the Western world this idea is prevalent amongs some people (NOT all). However, being an Indian I can tell you that in South Asia the regard for life is in general less considering the scant respect for safety standards (traffic sense, emergency services, construction facilities etc are all devoid of safety standards). Despite so many bomb blasts in South Asia people in general do not care/worry about the outcome of investigations or actions to stop them in future. All this lack of concetrn for life in South Asia by South Asians themselves stems from the fact that South Asians do hold the view that "life is cheap". So I would say to all the Western friends that the problem lies with the attitude of South Asians towards life and the Western world just adopt the same from them. So I do not see anything worong with this view of Western world and I would rather say that the correction needs to be done in South Asia. So Mihir I think you should lament the attitude of South Asians more than that of the Western world.
To end this comment: I express my solidarity to all the families and friends of those who lost their lives.
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Maybe, just maybe, this will be the trigger that finally persuades the Pakistani authorties that they need to take the Taliban and other violent Islamic groups seriously and start fighting them on a large scale - some weapons from the USA would help as well
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#53 AndyPlowright - hear hear.
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The attack on Sri Lankan cricketers defies rationale and even irrational logic. Pakistan is victim of sectarian and other kinds of violence since long. One has seen Shia-Sunni riots, Taliban versus military conflict and Balochs versus foreigners. We have heard about Americans being kidnapped, Mumbai being attacked by Pakistani terrorists but this attack defies logic, completely. This attack is absolutely frightening for cricket world.
We all know how in 1996 Australia and West Indies refused to play in Sri Lanka, but India and Pakistan went there and played an exhibition match as a combined in a show of solidarity. Cricket in this part of world is not only non-political, it has a healing touch. How can you attack cricketers? I request Pakistani people to condemn strongly and pressurize their government to eliminate terrorists and their infrastructure.
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There are plenty of examples to show that the West considers life to be cheap in the developing world, although 'fashionable' isn't quite the right term from Mr Bose. It's more of a guilty secret, to which we turn a blind eye. How many of us can claim that we've never bought an item of clothing manufacturing under sweatshop conditions, where virtually enslaved children work 16 hours a day with unguarded lethal machinery? How many of us can say that we've never disposed of a piece of electronic equipment whose poisonous heavy metal components are then shipped to the Far East, dumped and allowed to seep into the water supply? How many of us have never bought products from companies whose manufacturing bases in the developing world turn a blind eye to intimidation and even murder of union representatives to ensure maximum productivity from workers? We are all complicit.
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the whole point of this attack is to isolate Pakistan , however the security just wasnt up to the job. Its a tragedy , but it could have been a lot worse. Imagine if the Sri Lankan team had got killed. I'm not saying their lives are more important than the security guards or drivers , but the whole point of terrorist attacks is to make big headlines
there is no way any country would stage neutral tests. there could be attacks in any country ( as every country has a radical muslim presence these days and would never take the chance ) i'm afraid Pakistan is out of international cricket for the forseeable future
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"the theory fashionable in some parts of the western world that life in the developing world is cheap"
That's perfectly true, however indignant some people on here get. Look at the coverage of incidents like this in the Western media (not excluding the BBC, sorry). The only reason this particular attack gets publicity is that cricketers were involved. Had it just been six or seven Pakistani policemen killed, with no sporting involvement, it would barely have rated a mention, whereas a similar incident in Australia would rate screaming headlines. Or take the SE Asian Tsunami - the media focus was on the Western tourists who died; never mind that tens of thousands of Achenese and others died. Of course nobody actually SAYS that "life in the developing world is cheap" these days, but the attitude is still there.
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Post number 55 from LordProsperity is the most sense in this whole argument - I am English but spent most of last year working in Mumbai - towards the end of my stay, I lost a very close Indian friend to an accident on the railways - she was hit by a train whilst walking on the tracks. Over the following few days, as I looked into it, it became apparent this was not an isoltaed incident, indeed it is estimated nearly 3,500 people die in this manner in Mumbai alone, each year. That's nearly 100 a day - and that is one city. Added to the even more numerous road fatalaties, throughout India (which has the highest proportion of deaths per road user in the world) and the picture is an appaling one (to Western eyes) where death is treated with a resigned acceptance. My Indian friends proposed many theories why this is the case, ranging from the Hindu belief in re-incarnation to the simple fact that tragic death is just more common than in the West - I for one wouldn't want to even begin to theorise why.
But, this goes slightly off the point of my post, which is this.
Consider this statement at the start of the blog "I have never bought into the theory fashionable in some parts of the western world that life in the developing world is cheap"- If Mihir Bose was of English origin and posted a similar comment in reverse, would he not lay himself open to accusations of racism. If I, as an Englishman in India, made a comment that said "There's a view in India, which I don't agree with, that some English are fat, ugly and lazy", I imagine the Indian reaction wouldn't be positive, and rightly so. Whilst I agree with much of what Mihir has said in this blog, I find it offensive that he opens with such a negative and unnecessary comment. What further rankles is that he seeks to justify it, with a subsequent post, raking up a quote from nearly 50 years ago! I have looked through a lot of Mihir's blogs and have found a huge amount of negative comments, yet he has only replied three times to the criticism - in each case to justify himself (and not particularly convincingly either). Perhaps this time, he might consider that his views are offensive to many of his readers and offer an apology.
The BBC, the organisation he represents as Sports Editor, recently cancelled the contract of a presenter who was adjudged to have made a racist comment in a private conversation. There may be a view that as Sports Editor of the BBC, Mihir should be a little more careful as to the views he suggests of others, lest he find himself in a similar situation.
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Out of interest, I'm just wondering why Mihir Bose's blogs are pre-moderated? Looking on the BBCs rules, it suggests that only Children's areas are (understandably) - I cna't find any other sports blogs that are - could someone explain why this is the case?
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1. srilankan board members should have gotten more assurances of protection, especially when no one else wants to tour.
2. Pak officials should have sanitized the routes, had more man/firepower.. Terrorists are armed with RPGs and AK47s.. and you send a bus load of cricketers with few cops?
With so much at stake, each country's security team should go all out and ensure maximum security given to players..
as far as the 'life is cheap' comment.. no matter where you live in the world, if you are poor, your life is cheap as for as the Government is concerned. However, i agree with others w.r.t the non-relevance of that comment here. maybe some guy made a wisecrack to mihir about this
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Mihir Bose comment may seem a sweeping statement but it is true to some extent. Dosent apply to all westerners but to a significant number it certainly does.
But this pattern is slowly changing as the world integrates.
As for the attacks, my feeling is that this is an international affair involving secret services of the global covert elite rulers. This is not some random crazy fundamentalist act. This is very cleverly orchastrated and needed high profile individuals to give clearance to these killers to come in and go out.
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I'll start by expressing my deepest sympathy to everyone involved in the attacks. I think more than anything else those who died, and their families, should be at the forefront of everybody's minds on such a horrendous day not only for sport, but for the very notion that we are a civilised and intelligent species.
While any one person or group of people seeks to further their cause by injuring others this world will never truly progress.
What also hurts though is the fact that so many chose to pick up a few words in the blog and basically hijack this thread to talk about them. I don't think anyone - certainly not Mihir believes that a life - any life - should be valued by where it was created and where it resides. What I think he was saying (quite rightly in my view) is that the West as an entity (a society if you like) often places a lower value on the lives of people in developing countries. Its not that the individual people think it, its that general society seems to dictate it.
For evidence compare the amount of money that is spent on saving one life in the UK or the US, to the amount of money spent on saving an African life. The NHS (imperfect as it is) will spend more money saving one British life from cancer than the West spends trying to save dozens of lives in the developing world. By its very nature a higher monetary value is placed on the "First World" life. Moreover a terrorist attack in the US or the UK which kills a few people will always make more world news time and attract much more victim support (certainly financially) than one which kills hundreds in the Phillippines. of course its not something we like to admit to ourselves. We all put such things down to Governments and society and looking after "our own" first, we block out our individual responsibility. However we are the society and we elect the Governments.
I certainly hate the idea that a life in the sub-continent is treated as being "worth less" than one in the UK, but had this atrocity happened at Lords you can bet there would have been a far greater outcry. Of course its not right - its not something any of us likes the idea of - but if we really think about it we know its true. A shameful indictment of life in 2009.
We need to go about reversing the belief that one life is worth more than another. And like the recovering alcoholic the first step is to admit that it happens. And once we all admit it maybe then we can do something about it. Because its fundamentally wrong. And if we bury our heads in the sand and say it isn't true - we'll let down the next generation of developing world children the same way we have already let down this generation.
One World. One Problem. Not that of Pakistan. Not that of cricket. But one for all of us. And for all sports.
A-T
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55 - LordProsperity
I seriously hope that you are fishing for a eaction from the utter nonsense that you wrote.
As an Indian living in the UK, I have seen how lifes differ but just because safety standards etc are not upto scratch does not mean they do not value life. The only reason why it regarded so highly here is so no one takes them to court.
I am not intending to make out that this apparent battle of value of life between "westerners" and "south asians" is greater by any, but there is no correlation between quality of life and value of life for a individual.
My wishes go out to all those involved!
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Mr Bose
Forgive me for being blunt however I find your sentiment disgraceful. I would appreciate you attempting to justify your views in light of the following:
"The Disasters Emergency Committee raised £390 million following the launch of the Tsunami Appeal in December 2004."
Source: http://www.dec.org.uk/item/91
That sum is from Britain alone and was raised in short order. I am sure the majority of your readership remember vividly that tragic time. I personally recall a most poignant scene that moved my family deeply: In the immediate aftermath of the Tsunami, whilst we were walking around London just after that Christmas, a small group of about 8 Sri Lankan emigrees standing in Parliament Square holding a banner that read simply:
"Thank-you Britain. Your generosity saves the lives of our loved ones."
Do feel free to continue justifying your remarks with quotes that bear no relevance to the world of today. However please be aware that you gain no credit for so doing.
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your article mihir was 100% spot on . i dont know the answer but as long as there are people like yourself to give balanced judgement ,there is hope.
d semaan, hereford.
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its very upsetting to sportsmen being targetted.
pakistan cricket board should be held responsible for this tradgedy.
all cricket nataions have refused to tour pakistan on security reason.
sri lankans were our guest and their security should have been upmost priority.
there should be no international events in pakistan.
as i pakistani i feel utterly disgusted by these events.
i was looking forward to some cricket not bombs and bullets.
salute to sri lankans.
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I was stunned and shocked at this news. I too never thought cricket would be targeted.
A number of things immediately spring to mind.
Clearly international cricket can no longer be played in Pakistan, until the political situation there changes permanently. This is bad news for Pakistani cricket fans. I only hope that this is a tipping point in detaching the extremists in Pakistan from the general population who love their cricket. Terrorism can only prosper whilst enjoying either protection from the host community or from regimes prepared to use the perpetrators as semi-detached agents for their own purposes.
Secondly, we all know that there are now Pakistanis living all over the world. I believe that Pakistan can still play international cricket where they can enjoy the passionate support of their countrymen.
And here's another thought. I was in Canada last year when the T20 International tournament was played in Toronto... Pakistan could play home one-day fixtures against other sub-continent nations in North America where there would be an audience craving international cricket - and that would be a huge boost to cricket in Canada and the US - and it could build bridges between these two cultures...
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Interesting discussion...
I am actually of the opinion that this is, in fact, a widely held belief -- only not in the West; but in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka!
What's more; I think it is absolutely true. Anyone who thinks otherwise hasn't read a newspaper in South Asia recently. Whether it's from traffic, terrorism, disease or simply abject poverty; death is plentiful and hardly worth a mention. It's only news if it happens to someone famous. Mihir Bose might claim to, but the man on the street in South Asia harbours no delusions that the auto-rickshaw driver or the policeman or the politician holds his life to be of any consequence.
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As a Pakistani, I want to thank the Sri Lankan players for coming and extend my sincere condolonces.
Although we as a country and as a people are experiencing losing control of our country by the day we should have done more to protect our guests. I personally believe the Govt should have provided them with better security.
As much as it hurts, it must be admitted that no one is safe and anyone can become a target in Pakistan. I personally fail to see how any fanatic terrorist could justify attacking Sri Lankan cricketers who have nothing to do with the war on terrorism. I am lost for words and would like to apologise on behalf of Pakistan to all those affected.
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Also I agree strongly with Post 66
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Guys its very easy to criticise the Pakistani authourities, but lets not forget what has created this situation. We were a relatively peaceful country before the US sent their forces into Afghanistan and Iraq. As a result of this the terrorists who had concentrated in Afghanistan have been pushed into Pakistan where they are safer as we do not have the resources to deal with them. We don't have the money for night vision goggles, M16s or body armour, how can you guys expect us to contain terrorists which cannot be contained by a combination of allies in Afghanistan? Is it fair to expect us to be able to control these people when the UK, US and god knows how many other forces have been unable to do the same in Afghanistan and Iraq?
You tell me, is the world a safer place today given the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan? Pakistan as a nation is facing the consequences of joining the war against terror. Instead of being supported, we are now being critiscised for harbouring terrorism, when the reality is we are now victims of terrorism as a result of supporting the war on terror.
Before we get into a separate argument over who funded the Taliban, please do some research on who founded the Mujahideen to fight the Soviets in Afghanisatan. If you trace the issue to the route cause, you will agree Pakistan is a victim. Of course there is no denying that Pakistan's corrupt Governments and power hungry army have never done the nation any favours. And yes religious fanatics existed but were in control. As a Pakistani I assure you we despise terrorism as much as anyone else, and these attacks hurt Pakistanis more than they hurt anyone else.
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Why if it was not safe for the Champion's Trophy were moved why were ICC officials there?
That was missed in today's press conference. Are Chris Broad and the umpires less worthy than international teams?
Yes relations between Sri Lanka and and Pakistan are bi-lateral but the ICC don't have to send officials.
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I don't see any good coming out of this situation. We are just going to have politicians coming out and "deeply condemning" the attacks. The whole saga will become a distant memory in 10-15 days.
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@66
India has its own home grown issues, whether it is Nepal, Punjab or Kashmir or the Shiv Sena
============================
Nepal????It's not even a part of India!! Punjab???Terrorism has been wiped out of the place, decade and a half ago!!!
Shiv Sena???Yes they are a pain(my personal opinion) but they are a political party and if they get elected, its because the voters vote for them(India has a strong democratic system)
Kashmir???This is the state, 1/3rd of which is "occupied" by Pakistan..
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I suppose Mr Bose failed to express as well as he could what he meant to express.
In the Western world, there isn't a general perception that life in the subcontinent is cheap. Rather, there might be a sense that people in the subcontinent or in the East in general do not give the same weight to life as those in the West.
I am not from the subcontinent, but my understanding having several friends and acquaintances from that region is that people there are not afraid of death because of a philosophical attitude that death happens when it is meant to happen, the so called destiny factor. You see this difference with end of life decisions. It's uncommon for those in the subcontinent wanting to have the lives of their family members prolonged on ventilators whereas in the Western world (at least with the more religious), there is considerable discomfort to let your loved one die without making every possible rescue effort even if it means letting the person live in vegetative state (although this attitude has changed in the more liberal and less religious parts of the West, e.g., Holland).
When one accepts that death is inevitable, the grief is not prolonged. I suppose Mr Bose meant to express a sentiment that people in the Subcontinent are more accepting of the inevitable aspects of life. Mr Bose is one of the most balanced sportswriters of the BBC. Let us not make this a bigger issue than it should be and focus on the more important message about the tragic event in Pakistan.
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U2Singhy:
"but just because safety standards etc are not upto scratch does not mean they do not value life."
I do not mean the safety standards per se, what I mean is the apathy of South Asians to be aware of the well-being of others as a social community. Tell me there have been numerous instances of people falling in man-holes in India, why not the general public take a conscious decision to cover it when they find one. Every one feels that it is not my job to do and I do not care what happens to others. The trash is thrown just out of the house where mosquitoes breed and cause malaria to all. There have been incidents when infants are killed by stray dogs - but is there any action ons tray dogs? The general public does not care. There are numerous examples like this. Some small simple actions done consciously goes a long way to make a better living for everyone.
I've been in India for many years and I've been living in USA in the last 8 years - so I think I can make a sound argument. By all this I do not mean Western world is all good, I know it has its own share of problems. But sticking to Mihir's argument of "life is cheap" I think it is valid in South Asia. I'm talking more out of frustration that nothing is being done there in this front and please do not think that I like to show South Asia in poor light.
Lastly, if you think I'm trying to get a reaction from what I've said, then I think Mihir is much more to be blamed. Look at the discussion we are all having in this forum which is nothing to do with cricket or cricketers. Mihir with a single phrase has managed to make everyone digress from the whole subject. Poor article from Mihir.
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I hope this is the dastardly incident is the last straw on the camel's Back. The government had been in the state of denial for long, and and always stated that Terrorist wouldn't hurt any Sportsman. I hope this incident triggers Government to take upon serious action on Non-state element present in the state and causing havoc both in their nation and neighbors.
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Even before this attack no one is willing to visit Pakistan except srilanka(now they may not).Either way they are doomed.
I am no conspiracy theorist, and I get a feeling that this attack was not meant to kill the Sri Lankans, only to send a strong warning to someone (who? IPL?- Your guess is as good as mine). If 12 heavily armed, well trained terrorists attack a bus using AK 47s, RPGs and grenades, and have enough time to make a successful getaway without a single casualty of their own, they most often cause more than 'minor and non significant' injuries to their targets.
Poor Imran khan made a statement in October guaranteeing that the terrorists would never attack cricketers because that will turn the public mood against them. He misjudged either the public mood or the terrorists' motives (or perhaps both).
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This time of crisis, Pakistan needs international support not isolation. I think the next Olympic games(2012) shall be held in venues like Islambad,Lahore, Swat Valley, Shialkot, Peshawar,Karachi & Rawalpindi.
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Hmmmmmmmmm..................some have made the (I'm sure valid) point that people in the sub-continent, or South Asia, might be a bit more reckless when it comes to health and safety than we in the west are, or that death is so common as to be unnewsworthy. But, if this is true, how does it relate to a "fashionable" view in the WEST that life is cheap in the developing world? I just don't see the connection there at all. The comments made are about the attitude to life in the subcontinent, by people in the subcontinent and have nothing to do with a "fashionable" opinion in the west.
I think unfortunately that Mihir's choice of phrase was just a bit too rash. If he had said something along the lines of "some may consider life in the developing world to be cheap" then I'm not sure it would have stuck so much in people's minds. I think its the "fashionable" comment that doesn't quite sit right, as this suggests popularity, commonly held beliefs, or a trend that has appeared and is becoming more universal, none of which I think is true. A straw poll amongst the UK population (not a reflection of the whole of the west, but a sizeable, representative chunk) would not agree with the view that life in the developing world is cheap, in my opinion. I think that argument is perpetuated by the notion that the British media does not generally focus on issues and problems in the developing world and focuses instead on home affairs. Ultimately, this is not to do with any belief in the cheapness of life, but more to do with the fact the British people are more affected by British news, French people are more affected by French news and Indian people are more affected by Indian news, and so on.........
Unfortunately this whole debate has rather detracted from the entire purpose and content of the blog, which I happen to think is Mihir's best for sometime.
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To The Moderators...
What on earth is the possible point of putting a feature on the page for people to responsd, publish a detailed and specific list of rules which if taken at face value are fair and understandable... But then just reject a vast swath of the comments simply because they voice an objection to the blogger's opinion?
You're rejecting huge numbers of comments not because they break the rules but simply because they collectively emphasise that the sports editor's blog are frequently criticised and met with derision.
I accept that some people cross the line, there is no need for personal insults or bad language, but by simply deciding that disagreeing with the editor can only be tolerated a certain number of times so as to make it appear like his views meet a mixed response you just make a mockery of the rule and your positions as 'moderators'.
Just re-write the rules to say "Don't post comments of you believe the author to be incorrect or misleading".
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I' sorry but this Blog addresses absolutley none of the issues here.
Firstly, why won't Pakistan accept that it is a haven for terrorists and sort it out. It should be classed as rogue so long as the government is inept.
Secondly, Pakistan should be banned from hosting home games for the foreseeable future i.e at least ten years. I know this number sounds arbitary but if you carefully think about how long it takes to return a country to a safe, well policed area then it will make sense.
Thirdly, the world should not stand for these attacks. I am quite suprised that there has not been an outrage about this. What did these sportsmen ever do to offend the attackers? There is a deluded perception by certain communities in the Islamic world that this sort of thing can be justified. IT CANNOT AND WILL NOT. It's scenes and attacks such as this that do not make me question decisions to go into Iraq and Afghanistan anymore, which I would have said 2 years ago.
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I shall try again.
Mr Bose made a remark at the beginning of his piece which was insulting to many of his readers. It was not relevant to the massacre or public reaction to it. It was not based in any kind of evidence, or analysis of this story or its aftermath. The BBC allowed this comment to be published.
I, and I'm sure many others, were then moderated for criticising this comment. If the comment is permitted, why is any opposition to it deemed inadmissable? In my view, the comment went way beyond Mr Bose's brief as Sports Editor, and was little more than his own subjective view of geopolitics. Substitute the words "Muslim" and "Christian" into his comment, and see if you think you have a racist remark.
The moderators have done their usual tricks - slow the blog down until it takes 90 mins to appear on screen, thereby stifling the whole debate. Then moderate criticisms so that the "balance" appears to support the blogger.
If Mr Bose's comments appear on screen then
a) he should defend them (his defence here seems woefully short of relevant evidence or coherent argument)
b) the BBC should accept the right of others to criticise what has been said and offer alternative views
The fact that Mr Bose included such a comment has sullied what was otherwise a reasonable assessment of the situation. It has also meant that the blog has moved to a debate which is nothing to do with the sad loss of lives.
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As my previous comment is almost certain to be moderated out, I'll try rewriting it here.
If there are people here who think that a sizable chunk of the Western world possess a 'fashionable' view of life being cheap in the "developing world" (not my favoured term, as I find describing countries with thousands of years of history is very insulting and patronising), then it's more than fair to retort that there is a sizable element within the developing world who operate with no regard for human life, and who are quite willing to act those they despise in the West and those within their own country.
All of which comes from the original Bose comments about the Westn regarding lives as cheap. As said previously, I find that comment to be utterly divisive at a time when the overwhelming majority of those in Asia and in the West are outraged and disgusted by these cowardly attacks.
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personally the main point is professional world class cricketers got injured for doing their jobs. playing in Pakistan will never be the same again, it will always be remembered as a country which attacked cricket players. it is unfortunate that such a event took place and now cricket has seemed to turn into a sport where anger can be taken out on local rivals rather than playing it for the real reason. Cricket should not be banned in Pakistan because these attacks can just happen in the same mannor somewhere else, more serious action is needed by the ICC involving sercurity levels and escorts.
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“Some of you have taken issue with my claim that it was fashionable to say life in the developing world is cheap.”
And rightly so
fash·ion·a·ble /'fæ??n?b?l/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [fash-uh-nuh-buhl]
–adjective 1. observant of or conforming to the fashion; stylish: a fashionable young woman.
2. of, characteristic of, used, or patronized by the world of fashion: a fashionable shop.
3. current; popular: a fashionable topic of conversation.
You then reference a quote from 1974 some 35 years ago to illustrate your point. This is simply not acceptable. It's sloppy and its also inflammatory. If you are able to justify this position its equally possible to justify the statement that it is fashionable for muslims to become terrorists. Would you support such statements?
So having backed off from “prevalent” why not just retract the whole statement. It is not “fashionable” by any definition of the word is it?
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Good grief, you'll be attributing the "life is cheap" comment to Mihir at this rate. Talk about missing the entire point of this blog entry and focussing on some tasty titbit that has no relevance to the main thrust of the article.
I don't know which rose-tinted spectacle-wearers ever thought that cricket would be immune from terrorism. As a high-profile, worldwide activity it seemed a very obvious target to me. The terrorists are not carrying out their activities to curry favour with the locals, their objective is deepen the divide between Pakistan and "the west". If international cricket is no longer played in Pakistan then they will have achieved another success, further isolating Pakistan from western influences.
I'm not advocating western influences as any sort of panacea - I look at my country (England) with increasing dismay. The use of terrorism to turn a country back from a western path is revolting, but it is the easy option. "Lesser" countries trying to negotiate a fair deal with the west is not exactly a catalogue of success from the perspective of the "lesser" country.
The only hope for the eradication of terrorism is a sympathetic and inclusive approach to different religions and cultures. Even then extremists will find a cause to rally round, we just have work toward minimising their causes, and disenfranchising them from the populace the recruit from.
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My sympathies go out to all the sri lankans and pakistanis affected by this and also to anyone else who has had the misfortune of having to read through this excuse of a journalist Mihir Blose blog
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It is is disingenuous to think that many Westerners don't believe that life in developing countries is cheap. Maybe the same ostriches here would like to think that that racism is a thing of the past.
Since the incident in Pak, some of my colleagues expressed the very same sentiment that Bose described without using the same blunt language. They said things like "people in that of the world are used to things like this, aren't they?" and (one particularly idiotic one) "oh well, they're killing each other again" (meaning all those subcontinentals are the same).
The first step in fixing a problem is to admit that it exists. Some of our friends here have not even come to the point of admission of truth. But their denial is not as bad, in my view, as the denial of the Pak government, which cultivated terrorism when it suited its purposes and now claims to be its victim.
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This is a tragic incident and the deaths of the police/security men should not be forgotten.
The phrase "life goes on" seems to be even more relevant to cricket as all the talk is about arranging "neutral" venues for Pakistan tests, with England immediately jumping in as the £ signs come to the forefront, and Pakistan unbelievably announcing a squad for a one day series in Bangladesh.
Maybe the whole of this planet thinks "life is cheap" as it seems money and cricket are much more important than human life or suffering.
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I notice the link to this blog has now been removed from the main sports page - come on BBC, if there's no issue why be over sensitive?
What happened to free speech?.....cue the moderators.........
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I would like to comment on Chris Broad expressing his anger about the lack of security. First, given the trauma he has been through, his anger and frustration is understandable. I would also add that the security seemed insufficient and certainly not 'presidential'. A full inquiry is needed to establish the cause of this lapse.
However, I am a little disappointed that Chris Broad has not acknowledged the bravery and committment of the security forces that were there. It cannot be mere coincidence that the only people who died were the security staff. He is too quick to assume that the security staff had scattered to save their own skin at the first sight of danger. That statement is an insult to those who were killed and Chris Broad owes the dead and their families an apology.
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It is such a shame that this has happened and it is really sad that Mr Bose feels he has to blame a percieved western attitude as to why the attacks took place. It is people without respect for life who think life is cheap, not the West.
Moving forward Pakistan as a country really needs to take a long hard look at itself, stand up and be counted, get its house in order and stop trying to blame everyone else for its problems. Most problems start at home a great way forward is to ask for help and not bury ones head in the sand and expect everything to go away.
I am certainly not suggesting that the UK is perfect and yes in the past we as a nation have caused alot of problems, with which we are having to live with now. But that is the past. How can we move forward in this world if we are continuously looking back? I am fed up with living in this world where people hide behind religion, political correctness etc and are unwilling to accept their own accountablity.
I am gutted that sport as been attacked in such a cowardly way. I love watching all sorts of sports and from seeing the passion for cricket that the Pakistani people have it is a real shame for them.
Pakistan needs to accept outside help, no-one would percieve it as a failure more as a step in the right direction. But the will for change has to be a fully committed one
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Amer1963:
...and if Chris Broad is right that some members of the security forces ran, will you apologise to him?
Murali was on Australian radio and said this (http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/pakvsl/content/current/story/393431.html):
"Somehow in this incident there were no police with guns on the bus," Murali told Australian radio. "If someone was there with a gun we would have had a chance of defending ourselves. Normally all the buses go and we have four or five escorts. We left at 8.30am and Younis Khan (and the Pakistanis) at 8.35am. We divided into two, maybe they knew the information for the right time. They tried to shoot the driver. Then they were shooting both sides of the bus and they counted 39 holes."
The article questions whether the security forces themselves might have been part of the attack plot. if this is so, then that may well explain Broad's comments and back them up as being truthful. At this point, I think Chris Broad can be allowed a bit of leeway. I found the comments of Ijaz Butt to be utterly lacking in class. From the BBC article:
"But Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt denied Broad's claims that the protection given to the players and officials was inadequate and said the casualty toll among the security forces proved that.
"Six of them died, nine of them are seriously injured in hospital and he says there were no policeman," Butt told BBC Radio 5 Live.
"Where does he come up with such comments? I'm seriously going to report this back to the ICC. This is not the way. There were other people also, all foreigners, not one single one of them was injured."
Go ahead and report it, Mr Butt. Go ahead and report and whine. You have been made to look foolish. You promised presidential-style security. You ended up with unarmed policemen. You weren't attacked. Broad can come up with such comments because he was there. Even your own country's elected representatives don't believe Ijaz Butt is good for Pakistan cricket.
http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/pakistan/content/story/389924.html
And he doesn't like turning up for meetings...
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009%5C03%5C03%5Cstory_3-3-2009_pg2_5
And certain BBC sport editors were making a case for Giles Clarke to be sacked for disgracing English cricket! Ha!
DrPFKensington:
Nobody here in the West is naive enough to say racism doesn't exist. The unhappiness at the comments raised by Mr Bose was that it seemed a rather generalized and stereotypical view and one that was out of place. To then have that view 'explained' by Mr Bose using a quote pulled from a US military figure in the 1970's was utterly inexplicable. This blog is written by a gentleman employed by a British organisation and read majoritorially by British readers. Having the blog writer make non-specific assertions about a fashionably racist West is very poor journalistically.
Racism exists in Great Britain. it also exists in Pakistan. As I have said previously, the only target who should be condemned right now are the attackers themselves.
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In support of Mihir:
"I have never bought into the theory fashionable in some parts of the western world that life in the developing world is cheap."
Now come on people, anyone who has lived a life knows that there are many who do think this way but, like flatulence, there are few who will openly come out and admit it.
Just look at the Daily Mail and other newspapers today. What's on the front page? Jade Goody yes, Pakistan no. That should tell us something.
The vast majority care about their country more than others. In the Western world, a death in our area is taken more seriously than a death on the other side of the globe. It's a question of proximity. However, race does come into it for some people. Words are lightly, sometimes heavily spoken behind closed doors.
I suppose some of you might want evidence of this? My answer: go and live a little.
Of all those in complaint, may I say that all of this is as natural as rainfall. I suppose you will want me to quantify where every drop falls, just because you might not like what I am saying.
As for terrorism, well, being Irish I wonder how many events in the UK in the 1970s and 1980s should have been abandoned because of terrorism. Perhaps the Ashes of 2005 should have been abandoned, too.
Double standards from those in ivory towers in the West. Yet again.
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Lenninisgod - Pakistan has lost some 5000+ soldiers in the last 5 years fighting this war on terror. A problem it is not solely responsible for!!! I am sure you know, and if you don't you should, the Taliban is not the creation of Pakistan. For the funding for that please look to the great USA and for the root cause look to the Russion invasion of Afganistan. What you see now are the fruits of those seeds!
What do you want them to acknowledge - send up a banner up a flag pole !!
All countries must come together and help Pakistan drive out these terrorists instead of hounding it. One step is to persuade Pakistan to accept foreigh troops on its Western lands.
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Amer1963:
There are very few countries in the world who do not have some blood on their hands. Britain is no different. Our colonial past is something to be ashamed for.
"What is needed is a collective will to defeat the common enemy of the terrorist and less of the blame game. It is a very sad day for me when cricket in Pakistan may be the latest lamb sent for sacrifice at the hands of the terrorists."
I totally agree, and this is why comments about a fashionably racist West' do nothing to help. We need unity. Europe, America, Asia, every country needs to be united in opposing criminals like those who carried out the attack. Pointing fingers at one another whilst mutterings things about Western racism add nothing. Britain is not majoritorially racist: Pakistan is not majoritorially fundamentalist. We should be focusing our efforts on tackling the destructive elements of our societies.
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I am a bit surprised by the reaction to a part of this post -
"I have never bought into the theory fashionable in some parts of the western world that life in the developing world is cheap"
What is the need of the hour?
To show our sympathies to the fallen pakistani policemen and the Sri Lankan team as they go through this difficult period.
Though i consider myself a really big fan - having played the game for well nigh 25+ years and following it on the telly, Cricket should take a back seat right now.
Second, as a person with a brown skin, i can tell you how i personally feel. I have lived most of my in the west - and i can say, for a fact, that i have seen a different sort of reaction - than most of the other commentators in this blog.
Third, what is Mihir Bose saying - that he does not buy into that view.
Do you guys really read the entire blog? Are you folks more worried about your sensitivities than expressing sympathy and solidarity to the fallen pakistani policemen and the shaken sri lankan team? Take a hard, cold look in the mirror before you start taking offence to a reality which you probably know nothing about.
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Pakistan should NEVER stage international cricket ever again. I do not say this lightly but with enough evidence to make clear that over the years it has been the Pakistan government who has funded and aided terrorism. Now it is reaping the results of the seeds they sowed themselves. After hearing Chris Broads press conference it was crystal clear that the PCB and the Pakistan government did not offer adequate security to the officials and players and now no-one can ever trust Pakistan to offer that security again. One has to remember that this was done in broad daylight so there can be no excuses. Police have lost their lives but the number of police officers and security forces was wholly inadequate. At least is India it was visible when England went back that there was enough security to defend the Prime Minister and President let alone the England cricket. In contrast in Pakistan the security wasn't even fit for a lay person and this wholly rests with the government and PCB.
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I think this piece by Mihir is truly to the point. I would just like to say that I was hearing Andrew Caddick on BBC radio 5 Live where he commented ' the security anywhere on the subcontinent is inadequate'. I felt this to be a very racist comment especially coming from somebody who has not ever toured in the subcontinent. Actually as a cricketer who has only toured in the 'Western World' it is a comment that I guess can only be expected. This maybe the end of international cricket in Pakistan for a longtime but one has to remember that this can happen anywhere. In 1997 there was an IRA bomb scare at the Grand National one of the premier world sporting events but that survived. In Munich athletes were killed but the Olympics survived. So I think everyone especially Andrew Caddick should realise this can happen anywhere in the world and with even the most stringent of security measures if the terrorist has the will then nothing can stop them. Even in the UK. The FA cup final, Test Matches etc all these events could be targeted in the UK and nobody could stop them.
I refer readers to the comments made by Simon Barnes in the Times which is a very eye-opening article.
This is a sad day for world sport.
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What has happened in Pakistan is shocking and sad.
While I do not condone any sort of violence or killings, I am of the opinion that in the West there is slightly a different view about life in developing world.
We have seen completely innocent people being killed in Middle East and Asia in the recent past and hardly an eyebrow has been raised but when a Western service man gets killed, hue and cry is raised.
This may just be the view of the Western governments and not of general public, but to an outside world, it is West in general.
Just a thought....
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The blame has to be directed towards the PCB and the Pakistani government for this tragic event.
For many years the government has been training and supplying arms to these terrorists for their own benefits and now they are unfortunately suffering the consequences now.
The security promised was meant to be presidential style but this was no way the case in this dreadful event and after hearing the account of Chris Broad and watching the video footage of the attack, one can only conclude that the security wasn't even fit for a lay person let alone the president.
India can only be proud of the professional and wholly adequate presidential style security it offered all players and match officials when the Test series with England was resumed. Nobody felt unsafe and what the Indian government and BCCI had promised to offer they delivered.
In this case in Pakistan what was promised by the government and PCB was not delivered and they should all be ashamed of this. No country or player can ever trust any assurances made by the Pakistani government and the PCB on security, they blatantly lied about what they would offer. International cricket should NEVER return to country of Pakistan again.
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This is a tragedy not just for cricket but also for Pakistan. The violence is not new, but our awareness of it is reported in the other news section. Whilst Sri Lankan cricketers were hurt and I extend my heartfelt sympathy to all their friends and families of those killed and injured, there has been an emphasis of a cricket tragedy.
The last time violence in Pakistan made western news headlines was the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. I would have thought that her level of security would be pretty near the presidential level. But the point here, also made by other bloggers, is that these terrorists were also well trained, equipped, had a good plan and unlike the Islamic fanatics of old very professional.
I fear for Pakistan's future and their people many of whom who are gracious and kind and who are completely bewildered with recent events. In my opinion this country is headed for a civil war, but there are many factions involved. My worry is that the ultimate prize for the terrorists is the conquest of the country's nuclear arsenal.
The UK and US foreign policy in the region (Afghanistan and pakistan) has been disastrous, and often at odds with the Pakistan government. The UK Dept of International Aid is promoting building schools in remote areas especially for girls. The Pakistan government has conceded to the Taleban controlled areas their request that such schemes do not take place.
It is a sad indictment of our affairs in the UK and the world, that debates on such issues are more open and transparent in the sports pages than in the politics or main news sections.
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Patilputra:
"I would just like to say that I was hearing Andrew Caddick on BBC radio 5 Live where he commented ' the security anywhere on the subcontinent is inadequate'. I felt this to be a very racist comment especially coming from somebody who has not ever toured in the subcontinent."
Couple of points:
1) Caddick has toured the subcontinent: with England he went to Pakistan and Sri Lanka in 2000/2001. Although he was a bit of a fair-weather tourer when it came to tours in Asia I think you need to make sure of your facts first.
2) I think you need to make a better distinction between racist and inaccurate, or disrespectful. His comment is either true (in which case it is none of the above), or it's false, in which case he is both wrong and disrepsectful, but racist? He's not questioning the capability of Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka to provide security for cricketers based on the colour of their skin is he. He's passing an opinion on quality based on experience, not based on colour, or creed. I don't really think race is being brought into it, even if he is being critical of three very different countries in one sweeping statement. It could be akin to someone saying that security at airports is poor in Europe compared to the US and the UK, but I don't think this could be construed as racist - instead it could best be described (if proved false) as an ill-judged, sweeping statement that uses laziness to generalise instead of presenting facts and statistics.
Cheers.
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Somebody in the blog made a very crude ignorant remark which is totally beseless and only further causes confusion in Peoples mind about Pakistan. The comment was that 'Paksitan is rogue state and breeding ground for terrorism'.
Well let me say to that this is absoulte rubbish propaganda, type of which you usually see in sections of Indian press and also Western media in order to influence common man's perception of Pakistan.
Pakistan is infact in majority peace loving moderate country with no record of suicide bombings and inland terrorist activities. Off Course like the usual Muslim countries there is religious influence but that has always been controlled and confined to belief that Islam should be way of life and not as a 'way of achieving your political ends at all costs which in essence is terrorism'.
I grew up there until I was 12 and it was very communal easy going place where everyone knew each other for miles and could leave their doors open.
Howvever since 9/11 and America new world order foreign policies that focused on invasion of other countries, Paksitan has suffered as a result of fallout resulting from hatred for American policies. Now we have such instances like suicude bombings especially escalating in the last 2-3 years.
I also suspect there is lot of foreign inteference going on to destablise Pakistan and you can only cast your suspision on the normal actors such as India, USA and Israel. I mean it is now not straight forward to just be pointing the finger to some underground networks such as Lashker e taiba or Al Qaeda. I mean cricket unites the country like nothing else and no home grown terrorist group I would think do such an act knowing there will be hudge backlash.
The fact of matter is American policies have incited and breeded extremism in a very minority of religous group. If you think that even a common average liberal Pakistani now harbours bad feeling towards America because of their double standard (I mean here is Paksitan, a frontline state for this phoney war on terror and its most heaviest casualty in terms of destruction and human loss, yet it only gets indifferent attitude from America , those drone attack does not help situation, and then America because of commercial strategic reasons entertain India) then think what a religious extremist would think about America.
I just get confused sometimes why Pakistan is involved in this war because really they were not involved in 9/11 attacks. It goes against the will of the common man in Pakistan and it goes against their constitution. I can only say this is the case so because of our insecure weak goveerments. But I think the more of this destablisation continues, it won't be too long before we have goverment that carries and serves the common man's opinions rather than American policies. By attacking cricket I think resentment in wahts going on in Pakistan has now reached boiling point amongst the masses.
Despite all this, Pakistan is right now a fully functional democracy and I am sure it would get back to normal as soon as the goverment takes stance to eradicate american appeasement policy and adopt one that the people of Pakistan demand.
So for those doubters who spread propaganda about Pakistan to serve their negative objectives, I can only say that you need to see the wider picture here and judge everything rationally by studying the history behind recent terrorism activities in Pakistan. Just look at how it was before 9/11 and after it and you will grasp the ground realities and see the problems facing Pakistan in positive light. This is not out of their own doing but result of the 'game' that is being played out in that whole region. Don't let any biases or negative perceptions you may have about Pakistan cloud your judgement about the country. I am not saying it is the perfect country. It has its good guys and bad guys. Actually it was progressing very well altely up until last 3 years when real terrorism began largely due to Pakistan army killing its own people fighting American agenda and American drone attacks.
Long live Pakistan and its Poeple. And cricket will also be back there sooner than later.
Regards
M Khan
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Mr. Bose's needless jab at perceived Western attitudes has resulted in derailing too much of the debate. The BBC prides itself on professionalism and it was lacking here, intruding on a story that really did not need or benefit from that off-the-cuff statement.
People are dead, and it could've been worse. There is major fall-out from what happened and this situation needs badly to be rectified. It is not the time for soapboxing smokescreens about Asia vs the West, clouding the real issue and the real tragedy.
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M Khan
Howvever since 9/11 and America new world orider foreign policies that focused on invasion of other countries, Paksitan has suffered as a result of fallout resulting from hatred for American policies.
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How is that an excuse, India was recently troubled when a group called IM[indian mujahideen] was locally formed, immediately the Muslim clerics of india wanted to eradicate the problems and changed the sylabi of the madrasas so that the kids can look at a good job once they graduate unfortunatly that is an option that pakistan doesnot have. pakistan trade is mostly to india and once after the mumbai attack indian government closed the borders ,now where will the money flow from? The reason india can't be touched by any foreign policy is because we are a democratic country and very proud about it. india and pakistan are of the same build and race so when india can flourish so can pakistan. unfortunatly they have gone off the boil and now being invaded by foreign elements[taliban] who are breeding on pakistan soil and pakistan's economic turmoil is helping them. Never compare india with israel there was a national poll in india asking whether india should carry out attacks like what israel did after the mumbai attacks, the entire country unaminously voted against it because we always feel israel is fighting for land which is not theirs!!
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I am concerned about the fairness of the moderation process here! It would seem that it is perfectly ok to label Pakistan a 'haven for terrorists' and more but it is not ok to counter this by discussing the involvement of other countries such as US, Russia and India.
Any fair response to tirade requires some reference to historical facts and institutions in specific countries and its unfair to restrict discussions in this one sided manner.
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An unfortunate choice of words, Mihir, since the origin of this story is about the "fashion" of complete disrespect for any human life shown by a few individuals in 'the part of the world where you grew up as a child', as you put it.
In your later response you draw an example from the Vietnam war.
Again, unfortunate.
Let me assure your readers who didn't grow up in the same part of the Western world as I did, that the Vietnam war has been deeply unfashionable for a long time.
I currently live in a port-city with significant links to the US military, and I don't see any evidence that the Vietnam era is considered "fashionable." Becoming 'unfashionable' in the USA was a significant step towards ending the war.
What the people of Pakistan (and the rest of the world) need is help in making terrorism seem "unfashionable".
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A poorly written article. Vague in it's claims. Somewhat insulting to many of the people who have responded here. And doesn't really say anything - apart from that security is now going to be an even bigger issue at sporting events. Thanks for that revelation!
Poor journalism from somebody who's supposed to be one of the BBC's most senior sports authorities. And the video looks equaly amateurish.
Where is the knowledge, insight, and well researched, balanced assessment?
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as always, very entertaining
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Over the last few days it has become clear that the lessons from this dreadful incidence is not going to be heeded either by the PCB or the Pakistani government.
Chris Broad and the rest of the officials have all made valid comments suggesting that the security they were provided was inadequate.
I agree that 5 poilce officers lost their lives, but in the end none of the perpetrators of this act were caught. Where did the rest of the police disappear to? And why did they leave the officials as 'sitting ducks'?
These are the questions that needed to be answered and not statements made in the media by the PCB and former Pakistani cricketers (Javed Miandad, Aamer Sohail) that Chris Broad is lying. It is plain for everyone to see from the video footage that indeed the security was extremely lax and inadequate, and also the officials had been left to fend for themselves. The honesty and the dignity by which the officials have made their statements can only be applauded, however the converse is true of the Pakistani government and the PCB. They are being made to look extremely petty and stupid with their jibes at Chris Broad and it just goes to show that they cannot be trusted on the security issue ever. It is a sheer miracle that the Chris Broad and the umpires actually survived, and it can only be said that it was written by the gods for them to stay and alive and tell of their ordeal.
The one thing that has been made clear by the PCB's and the former Pakistani cricketers comments, is that they cannot be trusted with anyones security let alone players or officials.
This just confirms my previous point that international cricket should never return to Pakistan while there are people like this in charge. It is wholly despicable but typical of the whole official Pakistani attitude to these tragic events.
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Mihir:
Now for cricket...Is for time for reflections and also looking for the future of the games...
I also, would like to extend my heartfelt condolences and prayers to the people affected by this attack in Lahore, Pakistan....
~Dennis Junior~
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A surprisingly slapdash article I feel. I can't see how it's entertaining. I agree, a trivial comment has really thrown off to scheme of the entire debate.
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