Comment by Riaz Haq on December 13, 2007 at 9:24pm

Saw it 1992 and again today. Those were the glory days of Pak cricket. Let's hope we can revive the spirit that got us to the World Cup win. Thanks for sharing it.

Comment by Riaz Haq on May 28, 2015 at 2:42pm

International #CricketComesHome in #Pakistan: Play resumes. #Zimbabwe http://econ.st/1J8wYVG via @TheEconomist

UNDER normal circumstances, a visit from Zimbabwe, the world’s lowest-ranked Test side, is not a prospect to make cricket fans’ lips smack. But last week, when Hamilton Masakadza marked his guard at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore to face the opening ball of their series in Pakistan, the crowd’s anticipation had been brewing for six long years.

Zimbabwe are the first international side to play in Pakistan since 2009—an eternal wait for a cricket-obsessed nation. Tours to the country were halted when that year the Sri Lankan team was subjected to a horrifying attack on their way to the same stadium. Islamic terrorists, equipped with AK-47s and rocket launchers, opened fire on the team’s bus, and that of the match officials which was following behind. Six policemen and two civilians were killed. As the players and umpires cowered on the floor of their vehicles for 20 minutes while the bullets flew, several received shrapnel wounds. If it were not for the bravery of the driver, who sped through a hail of bullets hitting his windscreen, things might have been even grimmer.

The attack was particularly shocking because until then it was felt that cricket, one of the few unifying pleasures in a polarised country, was an unlikely target for terrorists. Afterwards, no team wanted to play there. Pakistan was forced to play its “home” international series in the United Arab Emirates. Even worse, it lost the right to co-host the 2011 World Cup. Most of the games that were scheduled to be played there went to India, the country’s bitter rival, instead. For good measure, India also beat Pakistan in the semi-finals. Some wondered whether Pakistani cricket could ever fully recover.

In such circumstances, the arrival of Zimbabwe has been a huge boon. The tour is only to last a week, with two Twenty20 matches and three one-day internationals. Naturally, security has been tight. One estimate puts the number of guards assigned to watch over the tour at 3,500. The Zimbabwe players will see little of the country other the Gadaffi stadium, where all the matches are to be played and where they are also staying.

Despite this, the Zimbabwe players, none of them world stars, say they have been blown over by the welcome from ordinary Pakistanis. For Pakistan itself, an uneventful tour off the pitch will be a step towards redemption. Shuja Khanzada, the home minister of the Punjab, describes it as a “test case”. “We are hopeful to prove our abilities for hosting and providing foolproof security to any international team,” he says.

Cricket fans around the world should wish him luck. Played in Pakistan, the sport is like none other. With its fervent crowds, and its production line of frighteningly fast bowlers, mysterious leg-spinners and elegant batsmen, it has always seemed the most vibrant of cricket’s many homes. There are no signs that any of the big international sides are yet keen to follow Zimbabwe’s lead. But one thing seems certain: given the reception that one of the game’s minnows has received, should they eventually return, they can be sure of a warm welcome.

http://www.economist.com/blogs/gametheory/2015/05/international-cri...

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