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Thursday, March 5, 2009

Whodunnit?

The attack on the Sri Lanka Cricket Team in Lahore has benumbed the international cricket world and underscored the importance of security for high profile sportspersons.

The large haul of arms and ammunition showcased by the Pakistani police as having been abandoned by the attackers appears inconsistent with the fatalities and injuries reported. An inconsistency that we should all be thankful for, as the consequences of an attack using all the lethal capability of the weaponry displayed would have been horrendous.

Two reports suggest that the Sri Lankan Team Manager had in fact asked for additional security before the Lahore test and that it had been given. Television footage of the attack and the accusations leveled by some members of the Sri Lankan team and the Match Referee would indicate that this was certainly not the case.

With its long-running conflict, Sri Lankans are well aware of the sometimes frustrating security measures adopted in the country where entire localities are virtually sanitized prior to a VIP visiting the area or even simply passing through. When the visiting team was assured of being provided in Pakistan the security provided for a Head of State, they certainly would have expected no less.

In that case what went wrong?

The answer could well lie in the confusion that arose following the unseating of the PML governor in Punjab. Many questions arise: Why was the security insufficient? Did the attackers know that there would not be much security? Did the attackers have any link to the political demonstrators whose actions apparently prompted a call for more security by the Sri Lankan Team Manager?

The only reported security response in the immediate aftermath of the attack was where the stranded umpires were driven to Lahore Stadium by a Police Officer after removing the dead driver’s body from the minibus.

Cricket fans around the world, as indeed the cricketers themselves, would be waiting for a report from the Pakistani authorities.

The International Cricket Council should lay down minimum standards of security for all tours and these should be enhanced depending on separate threat assessments for each event.

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In Words

Loved and mentored by parents with values and discipline and a passion for good English; guided by teachers who wouldn't spare the rod to ensure excellence; copywriter; on-line journalist; editor-in-chief; and at long last, giving into the passion; Freelance Writer.

Nurtured in advertising and PR from freelance copywriter to account director and agency head; engaged throughout to humanitarian work in NGOs including the Red Cross and the UNDP; and experienced in both public and private sectors.

Looking forward to a future of writing on diverse subjects; sharing knowledge and experience; enriching the lives of others; but most of all, acquiring more knowledge and using it to make the world a better place for all.

More of my writing:
* Fuelling the Peace Process * Concepts for decentralisation of government * PEACE: Is it still an elusive dream? * Interview with the late Major General Trond Furuhovde first Head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission * How polar bears are affected by global warming * Red Cross takes lead in clean water for Sri Lanka flood victims * The poorest hardest hit by Sri Lanka floods *