Her Excellency,
Jacinda Kate Laurell Ardern
Prime Minister of New Zealand
Excellency!
As you are well aware of the fact that your Cricket Board's unilateral and sudden decision well backed by your highness to call off the Pakistan tour over an ambiguous "security alert" appears to be a hasty decision to tarnish the peace-loving country's image of Pakistan around the globe. It also gives an impression that your decisions are not your own. It would seem unfair and unsporting not to engage with the host nation in such matters, to say nothing of ignoring the head-of-state level security accorded to the visitors.
Excellency, all this, mind you, occurred after they (your board officials & team players) publicly expressed satisfaction at the security arrangements and praised facilities and hospitality spending well over a week time.
Pakistani fans are understandably, distraught at the 11th hour cancelation, especially given how Pakistan supported New Zealand politically, and New Zealand Cricket on the ground, twice in the last two years by going ahead with a tour despite the horrific terrorist attack in the Christchurch in which more than 50 people were killed, and then, in a challenging Covid-19 induced bio secure bubble environment.
But while fans can be emotional anywhere, what's intriguing is why New Zealand did not bother to be more forthcoming on the proclaimed alert to the host government. It is likely to create bad blood in bilateral ties beyond cricket and for once, it seems not even YOU could read the pitch. Sad!
Pakistan have been supporting you through thick and thin, but your ‘cold’ and “ambiguous’ response to our Prime Minister was- “there was no issue of a threat but the New Zealand government had received intelligence that the team could be attacked when it steps out to go to the stadium” was nothing but an indication how much your Cricket Board and your government is influenced by others. Your heart and brain is not in the right place- in this regard the less said the better.
Excellency, As our Prime Minister Imran Khan informed you that we have one of the best intelligence systems in the world and that no security threat of any kind exists for the visiting team, let me allow to speak further, “We do not have the best intelligence agencies but we have the best cricket team too”.
Ms Prime Minister, since your action is based upon malafide intentions (for not giving the valid reasons of forfeiting the scheduled matches), I am to convey you, these days all teams are sick and tired of the bio secure bubble (which is why some players are opting out every now and then). So do we stop playing altogether, then? Of course, not. Look at how the game is evolving since Covid-19 started to dictate terms.
Excellency, for this, let's also sometimes spare a thought for the injustice being meted out to Pakistan on the pretext of "security" issues. Can you imagine NZ daring to abandon, say, a tour to India like this?
In the 2010 IPL season bombs went off around the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore with 40,000 spectators inside, but the fixture still went ahead. No series was cancelled even during the bomb attack in London. Pakistan itself played and completed its tour to NZ after the mosque terror attack there that killed more than 50 Muslims not far from where the Bangladesh team was present. We must call out such contradictions and discrimination for what it is!
Your Cricket Team back departure has not made us failed, in anyway. But you tried to desert us. My hunch is it may have something to do with international geopolitics. Don't forget that AUKUS (The US, UK and Australia have formed a new bloc to counter China but obviously their interests converge on Afghanistan also, and which are contrary to Pakistan's) was formed days ago. England is also likely to pull out. NZ will want to lean on their side. Australia and England are two parts of the Big Three at the ICC dominated by India. We all know where this is going, don't we? May be, you do as well.
Pakistani fan reactions tend to be emotional but I'm not worried about that. However, I'd rather we also look out after our interests and adopt a clear policy of reciprocity in the future.
Am not looking out for something to validate a non-cricketing reason, just expressing a possibility of one, and this is entirely based on the failure of NZ to substantiate the "proclaimed security alert" to Islamabad and their unwillingness to share intel if that indeed was the case. It's not as if Pakistan would have forced them to tour had they shared it.
Excellency, we will find out ‘the gloved hands’ behind this conspiracy as your team’s tour cancellation was an attempt to damage Pakistan’s efforts for peace in the region.
Last but indeed not the least, we will vent out our frustration through our performance in the cricket arenas, as this is the only solution to cope with the pull out (of your team). It was an unfortunate scenario, but it is not the first that such an incident has happened. Pakistan's cricket has always moved forward because we are resilient - and it is the fans who enable us.
May the Almighty help New Zealand when people like you with weak decision-making and dubious credentials are at such important positions.
See you on October 26th, in Sharja, UAE.
Thanking you for your time, efforts and patience.
MAHTAB BASHIR
A Pakistani Cricket Fanatic
mahtabbashir@gmail.com
+92 333 53 63 248
Your Cricket Team back departure has not made us failed, in anyway. But you tried to desert us. My hunch is it may have something to do with international geopolitics. Don't forget that AUKUS (The US, UK and Australia have formed a new bloc to counter China but obviously their interests converge on Afghanistan also, and which are contrary to Pakistan's) was formed days ago. England is also likely to pull out. NZ will want to lean on their side. Australia and England are two parts of the Big Three at the ICC dominated by India. We all know where this is going, don't we? May be, you do as well.
Pakistani fan reactions tend to be emotional but I'm not worried about that. However, I'd rather we also look out after our interests and adopt a clear policy of reciprocity in the future.
Am not looking out for something to validate a non-cricketing reason, just expressing a possibility of one, and this is entirely based on the failure of NZ to substantiate the "proclaimed security alert" to Islamabad and their unwillingness to share intel if that indeed was the case. It's not as if Pakistan would have forced them to tour had they shared it.
Excellency, we will find out ‘the gloved hands’ behind this conspiracy as your team’s tour cancellation was an attempt to damage Pakistan’s efforts for peace in the region.
Last but indeed not the least, we will vent out our frustration through our performance in the cricket arenas, as this is the only solution to cope with the pull out (of your team). It was an unfortunate scenario, but it is not the first that such an incident has happened. Pakistan's cricket has always moved forward because we are resilient - and it is the fans who enable us.
May the Almighty help New Zealand when people like you with weak decision-making and dubious credentials are at such important positions.
See you on October 26th, in Sharja, UAE.
Thanking you for your time, efforts and patience.
MAHTAB BASHIR
A Pakistani Cricket Fanatic
mahtabbashir@gmail.com
+92 333 53 63 248
ISLAMABAD
PAKISTAN
1 comment:
Mehtab, my brother!
It is very much unfortunate,that NZ cancelled their tour without assigning or sharing any valid reason. She did only rely on 5 eye report which they promised each other not to share with sixth one.
Anyhow, it is well timed protest, you registered to her excellency, I also support this letter to PM NZ.
Syed Hussain Ahmed Bukhari
Post a Comment