Sportsmen deserve better security, readers say

Dubai: After more than a year of waiting, cricket fans were delighted to see an international team play a Test match in Pakistan.

However, the situation became tragic when a dozen masked men attacked the Sri Lankan national cricket team in Lahore, Pakistan.

Gulf News readers gave mixed reactions regarding the incident. Nasser Khan, a Pakistani cricket fan residing in Ras Al Khaimah, thought that what happened was very unfortunate, as Pakistan has tried hard to be hospitable hosts to cricket teams in the past.

Khan, a labour supervisor, said: “It is a shame because Sri Lanka never did anything to hurt Pakistan.''

Apart from terrorists, Khan said that the lack of security is to blame, as the situation could have been better controlled with tighter security. The attacks have also brought up the issue of where to hold the 2011 Cricket World Cup, as the safety of cricketers is a matter of concern.

Khan suggested Australia or New Zealand to be good venues, as he considered them to be neutral.

Ramesh Menon, an Indian expatriate residing in Abu Dhabi, thought that such tournaments would be better hosted by a neutral country outside the subcontinent. Menon added that he believed the attacks would affect sport activities in Pakistan for a long time. He said: “The recent occurrences will probably create fear among all sportsmen who try to bridge cultures and countries.''

However, it could create a positive outcome too. Menon said he hoped that countries would unite to fight terrorism.

On the other hand, Farhana Zaman, a Bangladeshi student in Dubai, said she thought the Cricket World Cup should remain in the subcontinent, on the condition that security becomes stricter. According to Zaman, Pakistan is often referred to as the ‘land of cricket', but such attacks would undoubtedly make teams think twice about going to Pakistan to play.

She said: “It is so sad to see such things happening to a country trying to overcome these issues.''

Mohammad Halim Al Deen, a Sri Lankan expatriate residing in Abu Dhabi, agreed with Zaman.

He said: “There is no need to change the venue because I believe this crisis will die down in a few months.''