Cricket, widely known as ‘The Gentleman’s Sport’, has begun to be used as political propaganda as well as being linked to terrorist attacks to gain attention.
Soon after the Sri Lankan cricket team’s bus was attacked in Lahore in March 2009, it hit cricket enthusiasts all over the world like a thunderbolt that their favourite sport could be used as propaganda by terrorists. The country has been paying for this ever since, as international Cricket matches have been absent on home turf, with other nations assuming a similar kind of attack could take place again.
Cricket, one of the most popular sports South Asia region, Australia, New Zealand, the Caribbean Islands, and Great Britain, has always been a jubilant game to watch. Many new teams are coming up, trying to follow the path those before them, leaving their mark, and challenging great nations like Australia, India, Pakistan, the West Indies and England. The old and new formats of the game have kept cricket-lovers on the edge of their seats for a while.
People from different walks of life play the game vicariously, indulging in the tensions on the field, and supporting their favorites. Being busy in meetings, conferences, or even in class, many enthusiasts can be found checking match scores online. Cricket has become part and parcel of so many people’s lives. So, when you are a diehard fan of cricket, hearing that the game is being targeted by the right-wing terrorists, is being politicised, and tampered with, it puts you in a situation where you feel fully dumbfounded or puzzled.
There are many great cricketers, who have for many years earned the respect they deserve and they intend to entertain their devotees with great performances, records, and love for their nations. Now, the shorter formats are becoming the greatest entertainers of all time. Pakistan and Indian cricket matches have always been crowd-pullers, and whenever there are matches of these two teams, half a billion people are glued to TV and the internet to know the outcome. But for last decade, there was only one series among the greatest rivals of the game and they only met at tournaments for few times.
Soon after the Pulwama Attack on February 14, 2019, by a Pakistan-based terrorist group, the tension over the World Cup scheduled match between these two countries has escalated. The rage from the Indian side might take over, and the match might be abandoned. Many great cricketers and politicians from these two countries are attacking the other side and making the bond of both nations more fragile.
Most recently, an attack took place at a mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand. It was the worst possible nightmare for cricket lovers. It happened while the Bangladesh team was present in the city. There was some suspicion that some of the cricketers were about to pray at the same mosque. Luckily, all the Bangladeshi cricketers survived the attack. If any one of them was killed in the attack, it might have meant the end an era of cricket being only a game of bat and ball. The most shocking matter in this terrifying attack is was that people presumed these things could happen only in South Asia. Back in 2016, Australia and England’s cricket teams refused to visit Bangladesh due to security threats. Now the third test match that was to take place at Christchurch has been called off. Many dark days are ahead, where cricket is being targeted.
The world is in turmoil with different places under attack. Terrorists are improvising their ideas of attacking places they hadn’t left their mark on before. Cricket is a game where many to lose themselves to the feeling and emotional fluctuations, whereas some lovers of the game have always found solace in it. If this is the way the targeting of this Gentleman’s Sport is heading, the future of the game is under threat.