Afridi calls on FICA, CA to end Pakistan isolation
“FICA must also co-operate. Pakistan needs support and if a player is willing to come and we are assuring him security, then they must not stop him. This is the time that world cricket must support us.” -File photo
KARACHI: All-rounder Shahid Afridi has made an emotional appeal to the cricketing world to end Pakistan’s four-year isolation over terror attacks.
No international cricket has been played in Pakistan, which suffers near daily Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked violence, since gunmen attacked the Sri Lankan team bus in March 2009, killing eight Pakistanis and wounding seven visiting players.
Minnows Bangladesh twice called off tours last year over security fears and the head of the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA) has warned players not to take part in an inaugural Twenty20 tournament in March.
Former captain Afridi said Pakistan has been sidelined and had “suffered because of being the frontline state in the war” against militants.
“We are desperately trying to revive international cricket in our country and need co-operation but it’s not coming,” he told AFP on Thursday.
For four years, Pakistan has been forced to play its home series at neutral venues in England and the United Arab Emirates, denying millions of local fans the chance of watching live international cricket.
“Pakistan cricket is suffering because of non-cooperation and it is high time that other nations contribute to our efforts. Don’t leave us alone,” said Afridi, known for his hard-hitting and wily leg-spin in limited overs cricket.
He said cricketing nations and FICA should help the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) bring foreign players for the PSL.
“If two players from each country come we can stage a good league and I request Cricket Australia to send their players,” said Afridi.
“FICA must also co-operate. Pakistan needs support and if a player is willing to come and we are assuring him security, then they must not stop him.
This is the time that world cricket must support us.”
Afridi said Pakistan wants a special bond with Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka.
“Pakistan has helped Bangladesh, they shouldn’t forget that,” said Afridi, referring to getting Bangladesh Test status in 2000.
“We toured India for a limited over series in December-January which helped them earn a huge amount and now it’s India’s time to help us — all the more so because cricket has been the biggest tool in bringing both nations closer,” said Afridi.
Our General sneaks in soldiers to trigger Kargil conflict, while both governments were trying to make peace. Whole world knows this for fact, but we claim they were freedom fighters. Our home grown boys with guidance of intelligence agency, take the water way and kill hundreds of people in Bombay. We tried hard, but could not deny it as one was caught live this time. Of course, we allow the master minds to roam free and have vicarious satisfaction of seeing them bask in the limelight. Both governments made painstaking efforts to revive peace, and the cycle starts with our army boys crossing LOC and this time seem to have brought home souvenirs. Our enlightened leader lectures how SRK needs to be guarded, when we ensured our minorities are decimated – killings, rapes, kidnaps, forced conversions being order of the day – but will not let them leave our land of pure. Be that as it may, our high IQ, ball gobbling, pitch dancing boom boom wants the infidel team to come in full cheer and play ball. Why? Because we are Muslims and we have heart and ghairat and need money.
Denial is ingrained in our DNA.
It is certainly easy to ask the other teams to start visiting pakistan but it is not easy to explain how those players will be protected from the nutcases that roam around all over the country and kill people at will. For example, by merely deploying scores of policemen or rangers at the stadium would not be sufficient to protect players because terrorists/nutcases could potentially attack them from the nearby buildings/houses by using rocket lauchers, etc., and it would not be easy to monitor all those buildings/houses. AUS and ENG have sent their troops to AFG and their players could be the prime target. As a cricket fan, as much as I would like to see foreign teams visiting PAK but as an observer of the situation, I would not want any foreign team to visit until the cancer of terrorism is controlled. If what happened to SL happens again then that will be the end of cricket in PAK forever and it will have lasting affects on PAK cricket, which may not survive. So, PCB should stop asking the foreign teams to visit PAK and start making allies for their away home series, something that Ijaz Butt had destroyed in his tenure by accusing ENG for fixing the game.
Not sure why Pakistan asks all other countries to visit them when their internal security is in shambles. Who would really want to travel there ? Can anyone really focus on game when there is a constant threat starting from the hotels to wherever the players travel ?
Its time for Afridi to really focus on his cricket rather than trying to become a statesman
Afridi is running for Presidentship ! Hail Afridi !
Mr. Afridi….it is very simple. If GOP wholeheartedly renounces its support to all the terrorist factions operating from its soil and puts and end to using terrorism as a tool, there is a chance that life might return back to normal. As terrorist incidents decline, foreign countries will feel confident to send their folks to play in your country. Cricket players are civilians not army jawans who are mentally prepared to die. You cannot expect them to come to Pakistan knowing fully well that they can be killed there. How will they come when there is no guarantee for their lives?? Perhaps your appeal should be directed at GOP to renounce terrorism completely??
Can he focus on cricket and leave diplomacy to others?
Dear shahid Afridi… we will have to wait until we have a new elected Government who could ensure a better Pakistan than we have had over the last few years. It is a hard time for our Country where we as Nation responsible for some flaws and an external evil effort to make and declare Pakistan a banana state… Lets hope and pray for a new change …Inshallah we will get out of this.. But keep up the good work … we are not disoppointed ….
Minnows Bangladesh! Giant Pakistan is all out for 49!!!
You got to be kidding me. Please do not forget that you are the frontline state because all the global terrorist who attack other countries have found a home in Pakistan. You export terror. That is your biggest export to the rest of the world. Your army and government have either turned a blind eye or can not control it. For this you want to send our players to your country. Risk our cricketers lives.
Dear Mr. Afridi, isolation of Pakistan is neither IOC nor FICA Policy nor is the result of any conspiracy hatched by Anti Pakistan Lobby (India). You know and the People of Pakistan know that despite every precaution that the Government of Pakistan may take, the Security of Players that visit your shores cannot be assured. You have, amongst you (Population) a large segment of people who have no desire for Pakistan becoming a peaceful place. The risk of playing in Pakistan where even a Cricket Game is nothing but a Jihad is beyond any team can afford to take.
Please do not blame rest of the world for this unfortunate Isolation, it is the result of the people of your land. Again the fact that you did go to India and played does not reflect any courageous act of your team, it in fact reflects that level of support that other countries are trying to give to your team.
I wish all the best to you and Pakistani Cricketers, you have always produced some of the finest Cricketers who have played this wonderful game. I for one would love to see that Pakistani Team continues to get and arrange venues that are outside Pakistan to Play against all other Cricket Playing Nations.
Ask your board to look for avenues in USA, Canada and Dubai and manage the Tickets and TV Rights professionally to generate Revenues for the Players and the future of the Gamer in Pakistan.
With Regards to you and your team mates.
Mr. Afridi, India can earn and earning better without pakistan. so do not talk like you visited India for their benefit. It was mainly your need that time. Dont forget!!!
I dont think any one have any problems in playing with pakistan , inside pakistan . But its all about lack of confidence in pakistan state . If pakistan miserabley failed to protect its own people from terrorists , how can they assure safty of cricketers ?
PCB helped BCCI ( FYI BCCI don’t need anyone’s help they are self sufficient ) ? They (PCB) also got there cut in that tournament . But the bottom line is that if Indian Team ready to visit Pakistan then you will see every country will come , and it’s a truth . Indian players are not allowed to play any other league because they have own there two leagues ( IPL + Champion League ) .Top players whos are playing in IPL 6 , 1. English (KP, Morgan , Monty , Ravi Bopara , Bell , Prior …some names I don’t remember ) 2. Whole Aussies ( Lee , Helfi , Steave Smith , Hussuy Brothers , ….bla bla …name any players + Clark and Punter ….Except Mitch Starc*) 3. Whole West Indies ( Except Brian Lara* and Sarwan* ) . Most of the South African ( Dale , Morkal Brothers , AB , Faf … Some players from SA – A team s , Except Smith* , Amla* , Alvaro*) ……And same with the other countries like NZ and SRILANKA . So I have two Questions
1. When all the top notch players from all the countries are playing in IPL -6 who will go to PSL ?
2 . I guess PSL is going to begin from 26 march ( may be wrong ) and IPL-6 from 4th April …again a date clash ? And with grade B and Grade C players its really hard to draw attraction and generate money . ( Positive part there will cricket in Pakistan )
3. IPL , BIG BASH , COUNTY Cricket are big guns and then BBL and SLPL … And now PSL …. Aren’t they bit late in this Arena ….
Note ( I am not castigating PSL but a case scenario …. and ( * ) for those whos never going to plat ant T-20 game )
BRAVO shahid bahi
Didnt the PCB give a press statement that 50 international players have confirmed participation in PSL. 50 players divided into 5 teams, all you need is 6 more local players per team (=30). How many more players do you need Afridi?
so, they question is why the same type o f appeal or concern is voiced by the Government officials. Where is the sports minister? Why the security set-up is not shown to the rest of the World? Why the local matches are not televised and why the security set-up is not shown to the rest of the world.
We all wish international cricket to come back to the country, but the government is not serious in bringing law and order situation under control so we cannot blame the other boards for not issuing NOC to their players.
It’s time some one speaks out about Pakistan. I salute Afridi for that.
Afridi tussi great ho toofa kabool karo !
Sir Shahid Afridi….This is the same guy, who in 2011 gave an interview to a Pakistani TV channel, which damaged the cricket relationship between India and Pakistan even further.With a mischievous smile in his eyes, he said, “Who knows who carried our 26/11 Mumbai”…this was when even Pakistan Government had accepted that Kasab was a Pakistani. This statement from Afridi was like rubbing salt into the wounds of Indians. Moreover, he had said (his interview is available on Youtube) only Muslims had a clean and large hearts given to them by Allah-tala, and Indians (read Hindus and non-Muslim Indians) don’t have a clean and large hearts! This kind of a communal statement coming from a person, who had claimed to be a sports ambassador between the two countries!
Unfortunately they are in dream of being the only clean public on earth ( which is opposite of truth).
Well let them live in dream and then beg to Indians for some games or aids from USA.
you have already begged for dollars, now you are begging for cricket. Dare your government to provide law and order strictly to innocent citizens then you can feel for the foreign players to play in your soil. Please note always citizens first and foreigners last.
I am a huge admirer of Pakistan’s skills of reminding the world of its responsibilities as to what it should do in what situation.
“We toured India for a limited over series in December-January which helped them earn a huge amount and now it’s India’s time to help us”, Hey Afridi you begged us to have this tour we were not interested and the money we earned on that tour is peanuts for us, ok?. And any ways according you Indians doesn’t have big hearts then why thid begging again?