BACK FROM THE BRINK
I HAVE recently returned from Karachi after the Pakistan Super League came to its conclusion, with Quetta Gladiators the champions this season.
Australian Shane Watson was a leading player in their success.
I have been involved as assistant coach with Islamabad United and we have made the finals play-offs in all four years of the event, winning the title twice and finishing third this season.
It has been a wonderful experience. The atmosphere and environment in Karachi needs some explanation as the cricketing world considers its position in the future.
The first three weeks of the series was played out of the UAE in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi.
The facilities and conditions were excellent.
The final week of the tournament and finals were originally scheduled for two Pakistan cities Lahore and Karachi.
Unfortunately, due to the political unrest between India and Pakistan, the air space in Lahore was closed down, so all games were rescheduled for the southern city Karachi.
I was extremely apprehensive, to be brutally honest, about my plans to travel given the tension and constant fighting over the northern land of Kashmir that lies between India and Pakistan.
This turmoil has been ongoing since independence in 1947 from British rule.
Just prior to our travel, an alleged Pakistan terrorist group crossed the border up north and a suicide bomber killed more than 40 Indian security personnel.
Retaliation was to follow and the line of control that has long been agreed not to be broken was violated in the air by the Indian military who dropped bombs into the Pakistan territorial ground.
It quickly became very hostile, with at least one Indian fighter plane being shot down and a Pakistani pilot reportedly being lynched by an angry Pakistani mob after his fighter was brought down.
An Indian pilot was captured and in an attempt to restore peace Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan agreed to release him a few days later to calm the turbulent atmosphere.
It appeared to work, as both countries had been on the brink of war.
Upon arrival in Karachi, our team was ushered off the rear of the plane and into two bulletproof mini buses to transport us to a VIP area of passport control.
Once cleared, we then travelled in a presidential-like, army-escorted convoy to our hotel. Our buses were surrounded by army vehicles carrying heavily armed troops to guarantee our safety.
It was a real eye-opener for many of us, but sadly common practice in such circumstances in these parts of the world.
Our team was confined to the hotel and only allowed outside with full military convoy to and from practice and games.
The national stadium had a 3km exclusion zone surround- ing its border — no motor vehicles were allowed in.
Only fully-searched spectators could get access on foot.
I never once felt unsafe, as the amount of security was beyond belief.
The Pakistan people were extremely hospitable and the cricket board went beyond the call of duty to ensure our safety.
Uncomfortable was a better description of my time spent in Karachi.
One night, as I lay awake in bed, the sound of sirens outside was disconcerting so I peeled open my curtains only to be greeted on our hotel rooftop by a fully kitted out army trooper standing guard.
There were several of them surrounding our hotel.
Overseas teams have been reluctant to travel to Pakistan ever since the horrible shooting upon the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore in 2009.
Last year, the West Indies team played a very brief T20 series in the country as the PCB is desperate for cricket to return to this passionate cricket-playing nation.
My recent experience tells, with the levels that they went to, they made things very safe.
The burning question that remains unanswered is will cricket ever be played in Pakistan without the need for 20,000 army troops to protect the teams? I certainly hope so.