04/03/2009

Sri Lankan Team has a providential escape.

The Sri Lankan team is lucky to escape with only a few players suffering minor injuries. However, a look at the timeline of events it is clear that this was a horror waiting to happen.

Timeline of cricket safety concerns in Pakistan

May 2002: New Zealand aborts a tour to Pakistan after a bomb explodes outside the team's hotel in the southern city of Karachi, killing at least 11 French engineers.

August 2002: Australia cancels a tour to Pakistan over security concerns in the wake of the September 11 attacks. The series was shifted to in the United Arab Emirates.

September 2003: A bomb blast in Karachi forces the South African team to postpone its tour by a week.

October 2005: England refuses to play a test match in Karachi due to security concerns but agrees to play a one-day international match in the city.

October 2007: South Africa refuses to play a one-day international at Karachi after an assassination attempt on former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. The match is shifted to Multan, in central Punjab province.

March 2008: Australia again refuses to tour Pakistan over safety concerns.

September 2008: The International Cricket Council postpones the biennial limited-over's Champions Trophy tournament, scheduled to be held in Pakistan, because most of the eight competing teams had reservations about security.

February 2009: Pakistan hosts Sri Lanka in first test series held in the country in 14 months. The first test ends in a draw.

March 2009: Gunmen with rifles, grenades and rocket launchers attack Sri Lanka's team on its way to play the third day of the second test. Seven players, an umpire and an assistant coach are wounded, and six policemen and a driver are killed.

2011: Pakistan is due to co-host the 2011 World Cup with India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. The ICC has said it will urgently review those plans now.

NZ HERALD STAFF, AGENCIES

4 comments:

LVISS said...

For trying to help Pakistan cricket this is what they got.

Anonymous said...

Pakistan cricket is finished. Thank god ;)

Viswanathan said...

lviss,

Never help anyone.:)

Viswanathan said...

Philip,

A correction -international cricket in Pakistan is finished.:0