[Archived] Attack On Cricketers In Pakistan

[ABBEY]

Cricket isn't a global sport because it is played only by the home nations and the former British colonies..

And basketball is not a global sport either but that hasn't prevented it taking over from cricket to become the No 1 sport in the West Indies, one of the reasons why West Indies cricket has been in decline for so long.

Hockey is a very big sport in Pakistan and football is rising in popularity too and while it is difficult to see those sports taking over from cricket in Pakistani sports fans' affections a long term ban on home international fixtures will do irreparable damage to Pakistan cricket.

basketball isnt global? you dont half talk crap.

[leftfooter]

Cricket isn't a global sport because it is played only by the home nations and the former British colonies..

And basketball is not a global sport either but that hasn't prevented it taking over from cricket to become the No 1 sport in the West Indies, one of the reasons why West Indies cricket has been in decline for so long.

Hockey is a very big sport in Pakistan and football is rising in popularity too and while it is difficult to see those sports taking over from cricket in Pakistani sports fans' affections a long term ban on home international fixtures will do irreparable damage to Pakistan cricket.

Crowd attendance had been pathetic for the first three days of the first Test against Sri Lanka, despite the Pakistani Cricket Board offering free entry to general enclosures and low prices for other stands.

I'd wager that attendances would be higher if Pakistan played its 'home' matches in Dubai or England.

[thenodrog]

I'd wager that attendances would be higher if Pakistan played its 'home' matches in Dubai or England.

Good grief no! Why do we need that sh1t happening here? Or have we to pretend that it's not a possibility?

Anyway Australia's a lot nearer.

[Billy Castell]

Pakistan 'home' games in England? Never. The British Pakistani fans are arrogant louts that are just itching to invade the pitch, and maybe even assault officials and players. They are a right nuiscence for any security or police forces.

[SouthAussieRover]

Do what they did with South Africa and ban them from all sport until they get their house in order.

Wasn't it only last week a deal was done with the Taleban and control of the Swat valley ceded to them? An organisation known to treat half the population ie women in an apartheid like way.

[tony gale's mic]

"Malignantly narcisstic uneducated drones". I'll tell that to the Muslim students in my year at medical school who make up between 10-15% of the year group. I'm sure they'll appreciate being an intellectual heavyweight such as yourself referring to them as uneducated. But of course....it's all just a cover so they can go and launch terrorist attacks at UK airports, right?

Consanguinity is a real scourge though, and I will agree I felt like holding my head in my hands when I saw how the MP was shot down for expressing some very valid views. But when we have numerous folk like yourself who do clearly have a genuine hatred for their community, I guess it can sometimes be difficult for some of them to work out just what peoples' intentions actually are.

The enormous irony is that your post reads like almost an exact photo negative of some of the most hateful imam sermons you so decry. But I don't expect you to see that.

[only2garners]

Anyway Australia's a lot nearer.

Er no. London to Karachi about 4,000 miles, Sydney to Karachi about 6,800 miles.

Pakistan 'home' games in England? Never. The British Pakistani fans are arrogant louts that are just itching to invade the pitch, and maybe even assault officials and players. They are a right nuiscence for any security or police forces.

Well not the ones I've had the pleasure to watch cricket matches with. I went to the World Cup semi final between Pakistan and New Zealand at Old Trafford a good few years back and also to the last day of the England Pakistan test match at Headingley. Both times I was surrounded by Pakistan supporters who I had a great time with. You might have expected them to be in a less than good mood at Headingley - the day started in the balance with Pakistan on a run chase but England bowled them out cheaply. There were some louts there but they were all white, dressed in flags and ###### up before lunch.

[Billy Castell]

Fair enough 2Garners. Whenever i see the fans on TV they seem to be the cricketing equivilent of the morons who boo national anthems at England football matches. Maybe its my inner Norman Tebbit coming out, but when I see all the Pakistani fans giving it the big 'I am' whenever they beat England, I can't help thinking 'Yeah, but you are English, so you are bragging at yourself'. Identity is often a strange and complicated issue.

Anyway, Pakistan is a failing state no sensible person should visit.

[thenodrog]

Er no. London to Karachi about 4,000 miles, Sydney to Karachi about 6,800 miles.

Have you taken into account that it's downhill to Australia?

"Malignantly narcisstic uneducated drones".

Where's that quote from?

[tony gale's mic]

Have you taken into account that it's downhill to Australia?

Where's that quote from?

Leftfooter's post got deleted.

Shame really as it framed his prejudices rather nicely.

For some reason I can't even edit my previous post, not sure why..

[only2garners]

Fair enough 2Garners. Whenever i see the fans on TV they seem to be the cricketing equivilent of the morons who boo national anthems at England football matches. Maybe its my inner Norman Tebbit coming out, but when I see all the Pakistani fans giving it the big 'I am' whenever they beat England, I can't help thinking 'Yeah, but you are English, so you are bragging at yourself'. Identity is often a strange and complicated issue.

Anyway, Pakistan is a failing state no sensible person should visit.

Identity is indeed a strange and complicated issue.

I'm sure that there are some unpleasant and myopic Pakistan cricket fans, such as there seem to be in any group in the UK but I didn't see any in my two experiences.

I personally would have no qualms about visiting Pakistan, as long as I wasn't up in the border area with Afghanistan. I read a travel article in Wanderlust last month about what a wonderful place is was to travel in - full of warm and hospitable people. Going there as part of a national cricket team will be a whole different ball game though.

I've just come back from 3 weeks in India, another place that some are wary of after the Mumbai bombings. We were admittedly in the far south but could not have had a more relaxing and pleasant time. Yet there are clearly some complete nutters there too, reading the local papers. Hindu fundamentalists are not something which gets great publicity in the West but are a real issue in parts of India. It would seem incredible in the West but a significant part of the population believes that the West are in hock with Islam to attack Hindus. It's probably the only place in the world where Valentine's Day is a trigger for violence.

On a lighter note India is also the only country I have been to where peoples' faces light up when you tell them you're from Preston. In North America I always explain to people that I'm from Preston, near Liverpool, which they get with the Beatles connection. Everywhere else you have to tell them it's near Manchester and they all say Man Utd. In India neither of these are any use, but if you tell them you're from Freddie Flintoff's birthplace everyone's faces light up.

[Flopsy]

Its amazing, these attackers seem to be being held up as some kind of Taleban SAS or something. There were 14 attackers armed with RPG's, grenades and automatic rifles, who had 20 minutes to carry out the attack on a bus with an armouring of aluminimum so thick and powerful that a small child could push a scerwdriver through with a little effort. Thats not a highly trained professional assualt squad, thats a bunch of rank bloody amateurs.

[broadsword]

Well God forbid, don't offer them your services Flopsy.

Was intrigued to hear Chris Broad say that the Pakistani bus was held back by 5 minutes.

[Bazzanotsogreat]

Well God forbid, don't offer them your services Flopsy.

Was intrigued to hear Chris Broad say that the Pakistani bus was held back by 5 minutes.

Hmmm, very interesting point that Bryan, The ISI have a nasty habit of been infiltrated by Radical Islamists. I will eagerly await more news on this development.

[Hasta]

Its amazing, these attackers seem to be being held up as some kind of Taleban SAS or something. There were 14 attackers armed with RPG's, grenades and automatic rifles, who had 20 minutes to carry out the attack on a bus with an armouring of aluminimum so thick and powerful that a small child could push a scerwdriver through with a little effort. Thats not a highly trained professional assualt squad, thats a bunch of rank bloody amateurs.

I thought this to. And yet despite that they still carried out this attack for up to 20 minutes killing 5 and injuring numerous others. Still think the security forces did their job Flopsy?

[Eddie]

Think of the description Flopsy just gave. How many cricketers or cricket officials died or were even seriously injured? Now ask if they did their job.

[dave birch]

Eddie, judging by what Broad said, and the fact that both Australian Umpires back his point of view, I'd say that they failed to offer the officials the level of protection that the Sri Lankan team got.

Remember, the driver of the officials bus was killed, it was fortunate that no one else on that bus became a victim.

Rank bloody amateurs or not, seven people were killed.

[blue phil]

Hindu fundamentalists are not something which gets great publicity in the West but are a real issue in parts of India.

I don't think the average person gives a toss how radical the Hindu fundamentalists are .......as long as they keep their idiocy in India and don't target the civilised people who visit their country .

I wish I could say the same about Muslim loonies . Unfortunately their breed of fascism contaminates every part of the world they inflict their presence upon .

Pakistanis love their cricket but people will turn to other sports if they cannot watch their team perform at home.

Yes - I can confidently predict a rise in public beheadings and stonings in the dark years ahead .