With the South African cricket team already in Pakistan, and about to play two Tests starting this week, it seems there is enough cause for celebration. This is the first tour by South Africa since 2007, also its first since the 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan team bus returning from the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Though Test cricket commenced in Pakistan in 2019 with a tour of Pakistan by Sri Lanka, and a T20I tour by Zimbabwe had marked the resumption of international cricket before that. Therefore, this marks the first tour by one of the most powerful teams of world cricket. Just as Pakistan was once again returning to Test cricket, the covid-19 epidemic struck, freezing the world of sport, Test cricket included.
It is to be hoped that the expectations from this tour are not as high for the Pakistani fans as from the Sri Lankan tour, even though they are not as outstanding as could have been hoped from a home series. Pakistan did win the Test series, but after losing the ODI series. Pakistan enters the current series after a losing tour of New Zealand, after having been drubbed thoroughly. South Africa is entering on a winning note, having just beaten Sri Lanka at home. Both teams have been involved in a victory by the home team. Pakistan must be hoping that that pattern continues.
However, for the fans, what seems to count is that cricket take place. For that to happen, terrorism must be brought to an end. A resurgence is visible, as in the slaughter of Hazaras in Balochistan, or incidents in Waziristan. Though the resumption or continuation of international sport should not be the primary goal, efforts to end terrorism must not cease. A major defect has been the failure to implement the National Action Plan, which was agreed by all parties. The present government is headed by someone who rose to prominence as a cricket captain. For international cricket to be potentially jeopardized by government inaction during his tenure is unexpected, indeed counter-instinctive.
