Game on

By agreeing to stay on in Sri Lanka and taking their place in the tri-series cricket tournament, South Africa have dealt a big blow for cricket, and sport in general, and sent out a strong message to those who seek to disrupt such occasions. It8217;s never an easy decision to deploy your best employees in such a tinderbox environment but ultimately it was the only choice before the South African cricket board. The world has changed in every aspect since 9/11, and the field of sport must accept that change too. What could earlier have been a legitimate reason to pack the bags and return home, as New Zealand did while touring Pakistan in 2002, no longer holds water; the threat of terrorist strikes is part of everyday life 8212; and of almost every big sporting encounter. Two months ago, Germany staged the football world cup, where more than 20 matches were identified as facing 8220;real threats8221;. It was one of the most successful ever, and not once did any of the players show any concern over those threats. World Cup 8216;98, in France, was indeed the target of a terrorist strike 8212; three months before kick-off, Belgian police found explosives to be used during the event 8212; but the game went on.

Bombs ripped through London July last year hours before the Australian cricket team was due to play an ODI in Headingley, Yorkshire not incidentally, one of the breeding grounds of terrorism in Britain; that was when they showed that their fabled hard-man image wasn8217;t restricted to sledging South Asians half their size. Not only did they take the field that day, they played the next two matches in London, as scheduled. That was professionalism of the highest order.

In any case, taking the field of play is no more or no less than what each one of us does every day: going to work while running the risk of an extraordinary tragedy. That is what Mumbai did on July 12, and indeed what those who were killed the previous day were doing. Pulling out of a tournament is a double victory for the terrorists. Not only because it is a disservice to the public, which is exposed to the same threats as the sportsmen, but because of its financial implications. In the near future at least, terrorism is here to stay. The only response to that is by showing that sport as we know it is here to stay as well.