Taj will never be the same again

It was heartbreaking to see Mumbai's iconic hotel Taj being attacked by those heartless terrorists. Besides the historical importance attached to it, there is this special attachment that I have for this hotel. All those nostalgic moments of chatting with some of the cricketing greats in the 1980s and 1990s reel back to my mind every time the TV screens flash fleeting glances of those bullet-ridden parts of the hotel.

The YMCA hostel in Mumbai, right behind the Taj, was my home in my early days as a journalist. Walking past the majestic structure was always a special feeling. The Wankhede stadium being very near to the hotel was one reason why most visiting teams and the Indian team always stayed there.

It was from one of those classily done-up rooms overlooking the Gateway that I'd interviewed Mohammad Azharuddin for the first time after the string of centuries on his debut. The lobby was a favourite chill-out place for most players and that was where I first interviewed King Viv Richards and the handsome Imran Khan.

Unlike today, many players used to stroll outside the hotel or even squat on the parapet facing the sea after a hard day's play. For all of them, this hotel will never be the same again. This terrorist strike in Mumbai has shaken the very base of the most popular game in the subcontinent.

Shock

Former Pakistan captain Imran Khan, during his recent visit to Dubai, had said that terrorists would never strike cricketers. Urging all teams to visit Pakistan, he had said: "Cricket is the most popular game in Pakistan and if terrorists strike cricketers or attack a cricket stadium, they will lose popular support for their cause."

This statement did shock me and maybe Sunil Gavaskar and Ian Chappell too, who were seated next to him when he'd made this remark.

Assuming that terrorists may spare cricketers, does it in any way mean they will gain public support? Will any sane human being support terrorists who kill innocents? It is indeed shocking that Khan, who is a politician today, is unaware that terrorists do not do anything for public sympathy or support.

It is fully justifiable if a team refuses to travel to an unsafe country. One can never take chances with terrorists. It's time the International Cricket Council shifted the Champions Trophy from Pakistan. No one has the right to gamble with the life of cricketers.