India cancels tour to Pakistan

In the aftermath of the deadly terrorist attacks on Mumbai, shown to have been perpetrated by Pakistani nationals one of whom is now in Indian custody, the Indian government has ordered BCCI to cancel its upcoming tour to Pakistan based on security risks to the Indian cricket team.

Pakistan has remained cricketless for over a year.

Like all other international teams  that have cancelled their visits there in recent times, India which originally planned to help PCB get back on its feet by sending its cricket team has now declined to do so after the terror attacks perpetrated on Mumbai on November 26.

If the Pakistani government cannot rein in its citizens from launching deadly attacks on Indian territory, or is unwilling to do so, there is little reason to believe that they would be able or motivated to provide sufficient levels of security to the Indian cricket team, who would undoubtedly be a target of the elements who rained grenades and bullets on an unsuspecting civilian population going about their everyday chores.

Sri Lanka offered to tour there in place of India, but Lankan cricket has just gone through an upheaval which saw their cricket chief Arjuna Ranatunga bundled out of office. The replacement government body has been more reluctant to send their team, and it remains doubtful that Pakistani cricket can emerge from its long famine.

In these times of a full cricketing calendar through the year, members of the Indian cricket team will be thankful for an unexpected but welcome break.