Sport the great leveller in the throes of death?

It is a shame that sport - the great leveller - had to be descreated and decimated at the liberty roundabout in Lahore when the Sri Lanka team was happily wending their way for play in the Second Test on day three.

The attack by the terrorists who for a moment seemed to have gone mad launched an attack on the hapless Sri Lanka cricketers that was senseless and which should be condemned in the strongest possible terms.

What wrong had the cricketers done to suffer this life threatening attack? When the bigger picture is analysed and studied, it is divine intervention that saved the lives of the cricketers. Had some of them lost their lives, it would have been a great calamity and no amends could have gone to repair the damage.

I was there in Munich in 1972 when a Palestine terror machine styling themselves. 'Black September' struck at the Israeli athletes killing them by shooting them in cold blood. When that attack took place, it shook and stunned the civilised world.

On the final day when the closing ceremony was taking place it was a tear filled stadium and those taking in the action the world over who stood dumbfounded by that foul deed.

It was thought that with that dastardly attack that snuffed out the lives of the Israeli athletes, that sportsmen would never be targeted again, because they had nothing to do in the political chessboard.

But 39 years later, the frightening terror machine struck again and now it is possible that not only politicians, but sportsmen too would be marked in the terrorists madness.

Pakistan had been shunned by the cricket world because there was always the possibility of terror attacks. The Sri Lankans braved security concerns and toured to play the game and show the world that the concerns were only speculation and that sport could be played without any concerns.

When Australia and West Indies chickened out not honouring their World Cup engagements in Sri Lanka, it was the good and caring neighbours India and Pakistan who toured here, played and went back unscathed.

So when the Pakistan Cricket Board invited us after India pulled out, the Lankans jumped at the idea and after being promised watertight security took the plunge.

But now what has happened has happened and it would now be the responsibility of all countries acting as hosts to see that the tightest of security is provided when inviting teams.

Not to do so would mean to be isolated and no sport would be played in the sub continent which could prove disastrous and a unimaginable calamity.

Every Sri Lankan cricketer and the tour management were profuse in their praise of their coach driver Mohammed Khalil whose presence of mind where he kept on driving and laying his life at risk saved their lives.

This is what the coach driver said when asked: I thought that the Sri Lankans are the guests and my country's image will be ruined if any of the players got seriously hurt that spurred me.

"It was shocking and them I heard the players shouting 'go, go' and I did my best to get them to safety".

* Greater love hath no man than a man lay down his life for a friend or another - Shakespeare

Muttiah Muralitheran who was in a state of shock not knowing what to do rewarded the driver by presenting the driver with his Sri Lankan shirt.

The tour party and the country at large must thank the lord for saving their lives and pray that the terrorists would see reason and stop their madness.

As for me I also pray that sport which is the great leveller will finally emerge joyful and triumphant.

Good beginning

The Australian cricketers who enjoyed success after success and were the envy of all other teams for their approach and killer instinct in all forms of the game, had a sudden dip and their defeats by India and South Africa were anathema to them.

It is customary for the losing captain to come under fire and it was no different with their captain Ricky Ponting who was crucified by their media.

That it is the team that contributes for victory or defeat did not matter to the unforgiving Australian media who bashed every move made by the captain with some of them even baying for his removal.

But Ponting did not lose heart and never did he take a swipe at his detractors. He realised that the media was also doing a job of work. He was convinced that once the team regains its winning ways, it would silence the media and that is what Ponting stepped out to do in South Africa.

The Aussies took the field as underdogs, probably for the first time in decades and when the final ball was bowled at the Wanderera in Johannesburg the top dogs were the kangaroos who celebrated with a 230 run victory in the First of Three Tests.

The three debutants Marcus North a dream hundred, and penetrative spells from Peter Siddle and Andrew Mcdonald with good contributions from Ricky Ponting and vice captain Michael Clarke saw the Aussies regain their usual winning ways.

When this is being read the Second Test would be on in that beautiful city of Durban and the Aussies would want to maintain the winning trend, but keeping in mind that there could be a backlash from Greame Smith's South Africans.