The Australian cricket team consistently refusing to tour Pak ever since the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Towers in the United States, now seems to have been vindicated after yesterday’s attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team which has sent shock waves thru the international cricket community. Cricket news today is full of the impact and the repercussions that this will have on the future of Pakistani cricket; particularly international cricket in Pakistan.

It is not just the Aussies, but also the New Zealand, the West Indies, the South African and the Indian cricket teams who have feared for the well being of their players and have refused to tour Pak. Now with the wisdom of hind sight, it would seem that this was not over reaction at all, but very sensible of their respective governments and cricket boards not to send their teams.

In light of this situation where international cricket teams were regarding Pak with trepidation, the Sri Lankan team was persuaded to venture forth and tour Pakistan. India cancelled their tour in wake of the 26/11 attacks on Mumbai and the Lankans graciously accepted the invitation to tour Pak as a gesture of good will. "Our friends, the Sri Lankans, came to rescue Pakistan in our hour of crisis," said Pir Aftab Shah Jillani, the Pakistani sports minister regretfully.

Earlier also the security situation in Pak has impacted tourneys such as when the ICC Champions trophy being hosted by Pak was cancelled. "Cricket in Pakistan is over for some years, I would believe," said former Pakistan captain, Sarfraz Nawaz.

Like India, cricket is the one money spinning sport in Pakistan and the current situation will negatively impact the generation of cricket related revenue as well. As in India, cricket sells everything from toothpaste to TVs in Pakistan. Cricket is the only sport that is capable of generating enough interest to fill up stadiums. Now of course it seems a distant dream that Pak cricket fans will get to see any live international cricket and will have to content themselves with watching their teams on TV, playing abroad or on neutral territories.

According to reports, another fallout for the Pakistani Cricket Board (PCB) is losing the fees that foreign teams have to pay when they tour Pakistan and the amount can be as much as $300,000 (£214,000) for each tour. Also, the PCB earns millions of dollars from selling marketing rights to sponsors such as banks and cell phone companies, and exclusive broadcast rights. All this now seems history for Pak cricket. At least for the foreseeable future!

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3.25 Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."

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