Pakistan’s efforts at rejuvenating cricket within the country have failed yet again as several Bangladeshi cricketers and team support staff have withdrawn their names ahead of the 3-match T20I series between Bangladesh and Pakistan. Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) agreed to the series to be held in Pakistan, but Bangladeshi cricketers clearly do not want to visit the terror country at the peril of their own security.
Wicketkeeper-batsman and senior Bangladeshi cricketer, Mushfiqur Rahim has backed out of the series citing security concerns. He did not even mince words while taking this decision and said, “My family is afraid of the security conditions in Pakistan. In this situation, I can’t go to Pakistan and play cricket there. It is always tough for me to sit out a series for the Bangladesh national team.” It is not an unnatural reaction on the part of his family, as no one would fancy having a family member visit a terror infested, unsafe country like Pakistan.
Mushfiqur Rahim "My family is afraid of the security conditions in Pakistan. In this situation, I can’t go to Pakistan and play cricket there. It is always tough for me to sit out a series for the Bangladesh national team" #PAKvBAN #cricket
— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket) January 17, 2020
Five coaching staff members have also backed out of the tour, though they used different excuses to avoid visiting the terrorist country. According to BCB’s cricket operations chairman Akram Khan, Neil McKenzie, the limited-overs batting coach, is among those who have withdrawn from the series. Fielding coach Ryan Cook too is not visiting Pakistan.
The BCB has also claimed that former New Zealand skipper, Daniel Vettori, contracted as a spin consultant by Bangladesh won’t visit Pakistan along with the Bangladesh cricket team because of the short size of the T20 series.
Team analyst, Shrinivas Chandrasekaran, is also going to skip the tour on account of his being an Indian citizen, while yet another coaching staff member has taken the excuse of an injury. Akram said, “(Strength and conditioning coach) Mario (Villavarayan) broke his hand recently while team analyst (Chandrasekaran) will be working with the team over Skype. McKenzie and fielding coach (Cook) will also not be going, while we haven’t yet confirmed on our new bowling coach.”
Pakistan has been infamous when it comes to the security of international cricketers and coaching staff. In the year 2009, a bus carrying the Sri Lankan cricketers was attacked by 12 terrorists on its way to Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. The ferocious attack had resulted in injuries to 6 Sri Lankan cricketer, 2 staff and 1 reserve umpire. It also resulted in the death of 6 policemen and 2 civilians. But this was not the first time that Pakistan cricket earned a bad reputation. In the year 2007, the then Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer was found murdered in mysterious circumstances.
Ever since Pakistan witnessed such unsafe circumstances for cricketers and coaching staffs. Cricket teams around the world have been reluctant to visit the terrorist country. During Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2018, former English batsman, Kevin Pietersen had refused to play in Pakistan, even if his franchise team qualified for the Finals. The Final was held at the National Stadium in Karachi, Pakistan.
The manner in which Pakistan is continuously snubbed as a venue for bilateral cricket is a matter of embarrassment not only for PCB but for the Islamic Republic as a whole. It seems that Pakistan is not going to get respite from such embarrassment any time soon.