Comments on: What of tours to Pakistan after attack on Sri Lanka team bus?

By: Mahinda

Mahinda — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 16:21:25 +0000

Having seen some pictures of the “elite” police and their vehicles, it looks more as though they were some sort of elite security team. The kind that checks on your office every so often and is highly trained in the art of running away if they see anything suspicious.

Top marks to the normal policemen who seemed to have had the stomach (but not, sadly, the armament) for a fight.

By: wolf

wolf — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 23:45:27 +0000

I think e normous and Rezwan make excellent points.

The cricketers and officials were promised ‘presidential’ style security. I hope they take better care of their president than that!

Musharraf has even spoken up and said any ‘elite’ force should have been able to shoot the attackers dead within 3 seconds.
http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Pakistan+issues+sketches+gunmen+attacked+cricket+team/1356337/story.html

By: Mahinda

Mahinda — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 12:38:35 +0000

Bit of a late comment, but I’ve just seen a picture of Simon Taufel without his umpires’ hat. He loos…weird.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2009/mar/05/simon-taufel-steve-davis-umpires-sri-lanka-cricket-team-attack

By: v

Thu, 05 Mar 2009 10:25:41 +0000

I sincerely hope that sanity returns soon and international cricket returns to Pakistan.They are a great cricketing nation.
I wish politics and religion would keep out of this noble game.

By: coffee

coffee — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 14:46:27 +0000

this incident could not have come at a worse time for Pakistan since the country is already struggling with their international image

By: sanjiv

sanjiv — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 21:49:01 +0000

my apologies King cricket. no malice intended. Stupidity of terrorists involved is beyond comprehension.maybe this incident might prove to be a watershed event with regard to whoever behind this attack losing whatever support they had amongst-for lack of better word- masses in pakistan.the assumption being most pakistanis are dying( pun sincerely unintended) to see any form of cricket being played in their country.

By: Rezwan

Rezwan — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 20:46:51 +0000

I guess the terrorists were pissed with the Sri Lankans hitting so many centuries.

Jokes apart Pakistan had a terrible security arrangement for the Sri Lanksn team in these violent times.

* No bullet proof glass on the bus! The players should thank the driver who drove them out of the rain of bullets.

* No commandos protecting the motorcade. How did they know the route? which usually should be secret.

* All 12 terrorists escaped. Nobody even bothered suspecting anything as they came by rickshaw with their rocket launchers and AK 47s. And nobody even dared to grab anyone of them.

* The police with arms was killed and the terrorists with arms walked away unhurt.

And who would shoot on cricketers?

By: A P Webster

A P Webster — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 20:18:59 +0000

Scary, I think, is the right word.

I really hope this isn’t the end of international cricket in Pakistan, but who would want to tour now? Especially when cricketers appear to have been specifically targeted.

By: e normous

e normous — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 18:42:32 +0000

^ miriam – no, the point is the security provided was nowhere near what it should have been. It just amazes (and scares) me that they could let this happen.

By: King Cricket

King Cricket — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 18:30:31 +0000

Not sure the old smiley face is too well judged there Sanjiv.

As a rule of thumb, steer clear of emoticons where human lives have been lost.