IPL may be put off, 2011 World Cup may avoid Pakistan

Till Tuesday, 'tis not cricket' had a connotation quite different from what it might be in the future.

The assassination of 11 Israelis by Palestinians in the Munich Olympic Village in 1972 remains the most dastardly act of violence in modern sports history. But yesterday's terrorist attack by a dozen armed gunmen on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore is no less diabolical even if there have been fewer casualties, and no player has died.

In the event, seven policemen were killed, five players, a coach and an umpire were injured, which will have serious ramifications for sport in the sub-continent. At the very least, it makes a cricket tour of Pakistan by any team in the short-to-medium term untenable, which, in turn, threatens the very future of the sport.

If no country is willing to go to Pakistan, it seems unlikely that any country will host a Pakistan team either. With only 10 full members (those which qualify to play test matches), and of which two — Zimbabwe and Bangladesh — are already marginalised, the sport shrinks dramatically if Pakistan cricket is isolated, even for no fault of its own.

The high-profile Indian Premier League, scheduled to begin in mid-April, is another event which could take a beating, albeit for an oblique reason. With general elections in India to be held concurrently with the IPL, there might not be enough security cover available for cricket, as the home ministry has indicated.

A shift in schedule could become a logistical nightmare. Moreover, the League stands weakened for players: several Australians had already pulled out, and the participation of the frontline Sri Lankans, now traumatised — physically or psychologically — is also now in doubt.

Ayaz Memon/ DNA-Daily News & Analysis Source: 3D Syndication