After the attack in 2009 on Sri Lankan cricket team,
Pakistan became a “no-go area” for international teams but long before this the
major cricket playing nations like Australia & South Africa became
circumspect in touring Pakistan when the New Zealand team was attacked back in 2002.It
was quite a blow back to the cricket lovers here in Karachi as it has been
hosting matches every year at the very popular National Stadium.
It was a ground that welcomed the top teams like Australia,
New Zealand, England, India, Sri Lanka, West Indies & South Africa from 1980-2002.
The cheers and the roars of the crowed echoed in the ground and its reminiscence
can still be felt. The city that was known as the “city of light” and for its
famous “hippie trail” lost everything at the hands of religion except sports
but the monster of terrorism succeeded in piercing its jaws deep into
international cricket.
It was 21st April 2002 when New Zealand team
played its last ODI in Karachi. But since then Karachi could never host the
black caps, Kangaroos, English &Protease again because of that ill-fated
bomb blast attack on Kiwis during the same tour. Since then only four cricket
playing nations named India, Srilanka, Bangladesh & Zimbabwe visited
Pakistan till 2009. During this period Sri Lankans were the only nation who
persisted with touring Pakistan regularly &tried their level best to keep
international cricket alive in country until they were attacked on their way to
Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore in the year 2009, putting an end to the glorious
chapter of international cricket in Pakistan.
PCB and government did little to restore peace and convince
the international teams to revisit Pakistan for cricket. Like its tourist
destinations, the Pakistani cricket grounds were left barren not even
attracting the locals to congregate matches. It was 2006 when hopes of die-hard
cricket lovers in Pakistan went high, with the decision of ICC to announce
Pakistan as the host nation for world cup 2011. Those hopes even died when ICC
later on decided to shift the venues from Pakistan to India, Bangladesh &
Srilanka due to security threats.
After that, even our countrymen lost the faith in the
restoration of peace as well as cricket in Pakistan until October20, 2012. When
under the captaincy of Sanath Jaysuri
a, top former and
current cricket players from South Africa, West Indies, Sri Lanka and
Afghanistan played their first World XI match in the ever-known National
Stadium.
The stadium attracted flocks of cricket lovers who fervently
came to see the much loved sport for continuously two days. It was a full house for both the matches as
youngsters & families had come in large numbers to support their national
heroes back to international arena. It was the effort of Sindh Sports Minister
and the international players who did their utmost to revive cricket in Karachi
and giving National Stadium its old status. We as a nation pay tribute to the
international players from all the four countries with special thanks to Sanath
Jaisuria who agreed to come to Pakistan with all odds. We as nation hope that these matches will
prove to be a new beginning for the revival of international cricket in
Pakistan. We look for a comeback of those days when cricket was much thrived
into the veins of every Karachiite and Pakistani with a promise of security for
the life of every citizen and visitor, be it a sportsman or a hippie on his
trail for enlightment.