Taliban threaten cricketing legend Imran Khan

The news that would have shocked the sports world, especially the cricket world was the threat by the terrorist group Taliban to kill former Pakistam cricket captain Imran Khan who led them to World Cup victory in 1992. The likeable and hugely popular Khan with his film star looks, it is said, is contemplating a march to the Taliban tribal stronghold along the Afghan border to protest US drone attacks.

What has piqued Taliban is that Khan calls himself a ‘liberal’ – a term Taliban associate with a lack of religious belief. Khan has been tagged ‘Taliban Khan’ in some quarters and the threat from the terrorist group is therefore ironical.While it is hoped that such a dastardly act would not happen, fans feel that Khan will do well to remember that there is no use or it does not pay in being a dead hero. He was a hero when he led Pakistan to World Cup championship honours. Let it remain that way.

Meeting Imran Khan

When I visited Pakistan with the Sri Lanka team in 1982, I had the privilege of meeting and talking cricket with Khan who was then at the peak of his career in the company of Pakistan's leading journalists Chisty Mujahid, Qamar Ahmed and S. Salahuddin.

Last week I had a call from one my ardent readers of my column in Pakistan one Aly Khan who said he loved the piece I did on Khan sometime back and thanked this Newspaper for its excellent coverage on matters relating to cricket. He also predicted that Khan would be the next Prime Minister of Pakistan adding that he is hugely popular and competent in politics. Let’s hope Khan will have a change of heart regarding his march to Taliban territory.

Cricketers pull out

The much hyped Sri Lanka Premier League, expected to run on similar lines like the popular and attractive India Premier League, seems to be heading for a no show because of the pull out of some exciting cricketers.

Lest we be misunderstood, we are not trying to belittle the good and hard work done by Sri Lanka Cricket to get this tournament going.Former Chairman of the Interim Committee of Sri Lanka Cricket D.Somachandra de Silva and his much maligned Committee,first mooted this Premier League last year. But circumstances beyond their control and the non availability of the Indian cricketers who are the draw cards, like the film stars in Bollywood, forced the organisers to finally abort the tournament.

Gayle will be missed

Now when everything was fixed to hold the first ever Sri Lanka Premier League, the unfortunate groin injury to that ‘man mountain’ and crowd puller Chrys Gayle and the sudden withdrawl of other West Indians Marlon Samuels and Fidel Edwards has taken the gloss out of the tournament.

The Sri Lankan cricketing public is very knowledgeable and discerning and will not want to spend their hard earned money, buy tickets and come to watch ageing or mediocre cricketers in action.For instance take Pakistani all rounder Sahid Afridi and West Indian Shivnarine Chandepaul.

Now these two cricketers were star class attractions in their prime. But of late they have dropped rating and are no more exciting.

Fastest century

Afridi has the distinction of scoring the fastest century and that too against the Sri Lankans when Sri Lanka, just after being crowned World Champions in the World Cup tournament, 1995/96 toured Kenya for a Triangular tourney which also included South Africa. After that he maintained his star class and was a big draw where ever he played. But of late his star has failed to shine and is now an ‘also playing’ cricketer.

Chanderpaul was never an attraction. But was followed and admired for his consistent scoring. But now he too is on the skids and will not be taken much notice of. Had Sri Lanka Cricket been able to break through the stiff Indian resistance and got their draw cards such as Sachi Tendulkar, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina to name a few to play, the League would have been a different story.

Own stars

Now the Sri Lankan cricket fans if they do come, will do so to watch our own stars such ad Mahela Jayawardene, Tillekeratne Dilshan, Dinesh Chandimal, Upul Tharanga, Thisara Perera Angelo Mathews, Lasith Mainga and the promising Angelo Perera. And the other factor that could keep the crowds away is the banning of bringing some noise making instruments to the ground. 50 over and Twenty20 cricket was invented to bring the crowds that were dwindling owing to the drab and listless cricket that was being played in what the game is all about –Test cricket.

The Cricket Boards were not making money and so the International Cricket Council grabbed Kerry Packer’s invention of night cricket and fine tuned it to what it is today, with spectators jam packing stadiums to see the cowboy game’, which is now flooding money to the Cricket Boards, the players and the ICC. There is no cricket in the true sense of the word being played in these ‘cowboy games’.

It is only for the enjoyment of the spectators who bring in all the noise making instruments and have a ball, not really concerned about what unfolds.So the banning of noise making instruments into the ground could be counter productive.

We hope there will be a change of heart. But now while the League will just go through the motions, it will never be the thumping and crowd pulling success it was deemed to be. We feel for the sponsors.

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