Cricket in Conflict Zones
Sports plays a pivotal role in shaping societal dynamics, providing a platform for the cultivation of national identity and the instillation of values and morals. Beyond its cultural significance, sports wield substantial economic influence, contributing to employment generation, infrastructure development, tourism promotion, commercialization, and sponsorship opportunities. This article aims to delve into the unique intersection of sports and conflict zones, with a specific focus on the role of cricket in the challenging contexts of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Pakistan
On 3rd March 2009, the Sri Lanka national cricket team’s bus was attacked. The match at Gaddafi Stadium Lahore was subsequently abandoned, and the Sri Lankan team was airlifted out of the stadium. In similar fashion, international cricket too left the country for the foreseeable future.
Prior to Sri Lanka’s tour of Pakistan, there had been security concerns that led to the withdrawal of New Zealand and Australia from their tour to the country in 2002. Extremist group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi was blamed for the attack, and similar attacks were seen across the border in India by extremist group Lashkar-e-Taiba. Considering the worsening security situation, international cricket did not tour Pakistan, instead Pakistan continued to play their home fixtures in the United Arab Emirates. Cricket is central to the lifestyle in Pakistan, therefore bringing the game back to the country was important. The process started in 2015, hosting Zimbabwe successfully, which was followed by Bangladesh Women touring the country later on. Ten years on in 2019, Sri Lanka returned to the country completing a successful limited overs tour. Along the way, Pakistan successfully held the Pakistan Super League, attracting big names from across the globe.
Whilst this suggests that the security situation in Pakistan has improved, progress was quickly derailed. New Zealand was scheduled to tour the country in September 2021, however a security alert from the New Zealand government led to the subsequent abandonment. England followed suit citing the wellbeing of players and staff as being of paramount importance in the decision-making process.
Pakistan was unable to convince these nations that their intelligence services possess the ability to identify and stop potential threats. The full return of cricket in the country is likely to be a slowburn, however the recent tour of a cricket giant, Australia, will play a major role in speeding up the process of return.
Afghanistan
Following the takeover by the Taliban, sports in Afghanistan took a stark turn. Specifically, sports were to be limited to male participation. In response, the International Cricket Council (ICC) considered imposing measures against the Afghanistan National Cricket Team.
The ICC considered suspending Afghanistan from its full membership, instead, they created a working group that would look to promote the development of both men and women’s cricket. In practice, the lack of infrastructure and the dangerous consequences facing women who participate in the sport, it is likely that ICC efforts could potentially stall. However, ICC Chair Grey Barclay believes in Cricket’s ability to “influence positive change” within the country.
The national team continues to play their home fixtures in Sharjah (UAE) and it is likely that positive change will likely take a while to achieve. It is also possible that further deterioration of sport within the country could also result in the national team being suspended as an ICC full member. Finally, considering the Pakistan exodus, the possibility of international cricket being played in Afghanistan will likely be dictated by the other ICC full members.
Disclaimer: All views are my own and not those of my employer
