Lahore terror attack sends a warning to all sports

THE terrorist attack on the Sri Lanka team in Pakistan served as a warning to all sports for their future security at events across the globe, according to the International Cricket Council.

Sri Lanka abandoned their tour of the country following yesterday's attack in Lahore before the third day of the second Test.

Thilan Samaraweera and Tharanga Paranavitana were treated in hospital after gunmen attacked the team bus as it made its way to the Gaddafi Stadium.

Captain Mahela Jayawardene, vice-captain Kumar Sangakkara, Ajantha Mendis, Suranka Lakmal and Chaminda Vaas also sustained lesser injuries, as did assistant coach Paul Farbrace, while at least five police officers were killed.

ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat confirmed fourth umpire Ahsan Raza, who was shot during the attacks, remained in a "critical condition" in a Lahore hospital.

While there is no possibility of cricket being played in Pakistan in the immediate future, with their status as a co-host of the 2011 World Cup also set to come under review, ICC president David Morgan issued a warning to others over possible repeat attacks.

England are set to hold the Twenty20 World Cup later this year, while the eyes of the world will be on London in 2012 for the Olympics, and there have been concerns over security at next year's football World Cup in South Africa.

Speaking at a Lord's press conference, Morgan said: "It has completely changed the landscape, but it has changed the landscape full stop – not just in the Indian sub-continent.

"I do not think cricket is that different from other sports.

"I am sure other sporting administrations will be very concerned."

ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat felt yesterday's events had marked a watershed shift in the security threat surrounding touring teams.

"Once you breach a certain barrier, things change forever," he observed. It is something we will have to take extreme caution with in the future.

"Up until now the advice from our consultants was the cricket teams were not specific targets, there was respect for those teams. Now that scenario has changed."

Morgan is hopeful Pakistan will eventually be declared a fit country to stage Tests and one-day internationals – but stressed the safety of touring teams must be the priority.

The ICC will discuss the issue of Pakistan retaining its status as a venue for World Cup matches at a board meeting in Dubai next month. Morgan, however, claims the ICC were given assurances about the safety of cricketers travelling to Pakistan, although some concerns had been raised following the change of government regime in the volatile region.

"On many occasions we were told cricket would not be targeted in Pakistan. This morning's events prove that incorrect," Morgan said.

He added: "I believe cricket must go on. I think it was important England returned to India (in December] after the Mumbai bombings. But we have to provide the safest possible environment for cricket to be played.

"The situation in Pakistan is such that teams should not be expected to go there in the immediate future, but things can change and they can change very quickly."

Pakistan is due to stage 14 games in the 2011 World Cup as co-hosts alongside India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

"The ICC Cricket World Cup is due to be staged in the Indian sub-continent, shared between four countries. That is the current plan," Morgan said,

"However, the board will have to think very carefully about the extent to which Pakistan will be used for that event.

"It is a very important event, but safety and security of players, officials and supporters is very important. The board will be taking that into account.

"There is an organising committee chaired by Sharad Pawar, vice-president of the ICC, and you can be certain that he and his team will be engaged on the very topic that you referred to immediately."

Lorgat, though, hinted the World Cup games could be taken away from Pakistan. "I think it will be very challenging for us to be convinced that Pakistan would be a safe venue," he said.

There have been calls for the ICC to now take a blanket approach to the security of teams while on tour.

And, in the light of yesterday's events, India have asked for an increase in security while touring New Zealand.

Lorgat, though, reiterated it is primarily the responsibility of individual boards to make safety assessments.

"Recently we extended, very slightly, the scope of the ACSU (Anti-Corruption and Security Unit], but you have got to understand how the system works in terms of bi-lateral arrangements," he said.

"The two member countries assess safety and security, they make their own decisions, they get advice from their respective governments and they proceed on that basis.

"If they wish us to support them on that assessment using our independent consultants, then and only then will we get involved."

'We need to get this sorted', says Waqar

PAKISTAN bowling legend Waqar Younis has urged his country's government to find the people responsible for the attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore.

Waqar, widely regarded as one of the best fast bowlers of all time, was close to the incident and described the scenes in the immediate aftermath of the shooting.

"I saw everything and it was just terrible," he told BBC Radio Five Live. "There was a blast of fire and I got to the ground before everyone else. Suddenly I heard a couple off blasts from round the corner and I ran back and saw the Sri Lankan bus coming quickly and then they started dragging people out and a few of them were injured.

"I think (Thilan] Samaraweera got shot and some of them just hit by the glass of the windows on the bus. There were ambulances all over the place and police coming in and going out. It was all happening."

Waqar, 37, believes the public will be angry that yet another violent episode will undermine Pakistan's attempts to emerge from its recent turmoil, and said the identification of the culprits is paramount. "People are pretty angry and sad," he continued. "The government and the people related to it have got to come and do something about it. They have to, first of all, find out who has done it.

"It's not the first time this has happened but it's the first time they've attacked the sportsmen.

"We have to find out who's doing this and why they're doing it. We're blaming a lot of other fundamentals but it's important we find out. You can't let people walk out into the street with guns in their hands and start shooting people.

"Forget about cricket, overall the country is struggling. They have to get this sorted out. We were trying to make things better in the country and this tragic thing's happened. It's not going to help the cause."

Australia captain Ricky Ponting said the cricket world was "shocked" by the tragedy and offered his sympathy to those involved.

"We have spoken with members of the Sri Lankan team this morning and made them aware we are extremely saddened by what has happened and that our best wishes are with them all," said Ponting, whose team cancelled a tour of Pakistan last year because of security concerns.

Clive Wellington

Pakistan will need help of the cricketing world to deal with financial fall-out of shootings

IT WAS only last week in this paper that I commented that there are many issues that are affecting world cricket at the moment, one of which was the terrorism threat in Pakistan.

It has always been thought that cricketers would never be directly targeted in Pakistan; unfortunately yesterday this belief was proved to be sadly wrong.

Following on from the terror attacks last year in Mumbai and Islamabad, in hotels that International team were planned to be staying in the future, as well as the numerous other terrorist activities in the country, there is no doubt that there must be a major question mark on international cricket taking place in Pakistan in the next few years.

The ICC Members, especially the ten Full Members, are a close family and will ensure that the Pakistan Cricket Board are fully supported through this very difficult time for cricket in the country.

There will be plenty of offers of support to host the Pakistan team, but I cannot see member Boards sanctioning their players to travel to Pakistan in the foreseeable future.

This will place the PCB and their finances in jeopardy as they will undoubtedly need a major television contract to help sustain their development and international programmes, and without regular 'home' games this will be very difficult to achieve.

With the Champions Trophy later this year already rescheduled away from the country, their position as one of the four joint hosts of the 2011 World Cup must be called into question.

I imagine that this topic will be high on the agenda at the next ICC Board meeting. The World Cup is the ICC's flagship event and will be the major component in the television and sponsorship revenues of the world's governing body in the next few years.

It must run smoothly from an operational and spectator perspective and I am convinced there will be pressure to move games away now to allow planning to proceed.

With the attack yesterday, and the forthcoming IPL already planned to take place during the Indian elections, there will be added scrutiny of the security arrangements for all International players. World class cricketers are incredibly high profile celebrities in the sub continent and, as of now, can longer be seen as immune from attack.

I have the utmost sympathy for the PCB and the ICC in their efforts to continue to play cricket internationally under these extremely difficult conditions. It was only two years ago that we were affected by the attacks on Glasgow Airport two days before we hosted India and Pakistan in Glasgow.

The heightened security for the teams and officials was our primary concern from that point forward until both teams left Scotland.

Cricket is also a small community worldwide and many figures well known to the cricketing public in Scotland were involved yesterday. Trevor Bayliss, the Sri Lankan coach, was a popular figure at the West of Scotland club, and Yasir Arafat, the Pakistan all rounder, enjoyed six seasons playing for Clydesdale as well as representing the Saltires as our overseas player.

Luckily Trevor and Yasir, along with Chris Broad, a regular Match Referee at Scotland games, escaped unhurt. Unfortunately Ahsan Raza, the fourth official, is the most serious casualty – Ahsan has umpired games in both the Western Union and Scottish National Cricket League in recent years and has strong connections to Glasgow.

We sincerely hope that Ahsan will make a full recovery and return to umpire in Scotland next year.

Cricket has had a very difficult period recently with cancelled matches, loss of sponsors, the Stanford issue, the new umpire referral system and the Antiguan ground fiasco. Yesterday's attacks make these issues pale into insignificance as world cricket is based on international travel and touring. This can only happen in safe and secure environments. The ICC Members will work together to ensure this continues to be the case, but the safety of individuals and teams will place additional burdens on all the host Boards and the ICC. This is now an unavoidable aspect of world cricket.

David Morgan and Haroon Lorgat both spoke for the whole of the cricket world in expressing sadness at yesterday's events and the need not to make knee-jerk reactions to these tragic events. Under their leadership, I am sure the ICC will make sensible and practical decisions about how to move forward to ensure that cricket in Pakistan continues to thrive and develop in these very unfortunate circumstances.

Roddy Smith