Younis’ statements give us an insight into his character, something which had previously been expressed on Stani Army in regards to his fussiness with the captaincy issue. Whilst it can be a good thing to be strong minded as a leader, one must also, at times, take a step back and be rational about things rather than emotional. It will be interesting to see his reaction when squad selection issues and other problems arise. Will he just walk away? It remains to be seen but as strong minded and hasty he is at present, I wouldn’t be surprised if his reign as captain is shorter than Malik’s.

The Lahore attacks were crickets darkest day but I could never see the Sri Lankans throwing in the towel and they were in the thick of it. If every decent human being gave in to having had bad done to them then where would we be now?

To give up and walk away, is not the Pathan way.

Only Khalil and the Sri Lankan players can really appreciate what happened that day and this reward is a recognition of the heroism the driver displayed. The front of a coach is designed for clear visibility meaning Khalil was just a sitting duck at the mercy of the terrorists with nothing in front of him but a large windscreen. Yet, without fear, he sat up and drove the coach to safety, risking his own life.

As everyone else seemed to do, media and other nations included, it would have been easy for the Sri Lankans to part blame onto Pakistan and its people as a whole.Yet in honouring the Pakistani driver, this is clearly a Testament to the wonderful Sri Lankan people. Though the terrorists and many others would love to drive a wedge between the relationship these two nations enjoy, it is heartening to see that it goes on stronger than ever.

“All of us were taken aback. I did not stop and kept moving. I did it for Pakistan,”
“I did it for Sri Lanka, who were our guests. By God’s help I did not feel scared at all and never thought of jumping out of the bus to save myself.” - Mohammad Khalil

“We are here to thank one unarmed man for his courage, selflessness and quick thinking that enabled many of us to see another day,”
“We will always have a special place for you [Khalil] in our hearts.” - Kumar Sangakkara

“Khalil, you are our hero. We will always remember you with gratitude. Let’s hope we are not put in that situation again,” - Mahela Jayawardene

The opportunities, however, carry their own fascination – especially for Pakistan cricket fans. Importantly, a successful offshore IPL will ease Pakistan’s transition to a team of globetrotters. Furthermore, the PCB and IPL could consider reinstating Pakistan’s cricketers if the tournament is outside India. Is that too much too ask? Aren’t all nations victims of terrorism? Why should Pakistan’s players be penalised and prevented from participating in a purportedly global tournament? Don’t Pakistan’s cricketers require support from the international cricket community to help competitive international cricket to survive in Pakistan?

The IPL has an opportunity to show that cricket has the power to repair damaged national relationships, and that it will not be cowed by terrorism. Indeed, becoming the premier world competition is not simply a matter of financial muscle, it is also a matter of leading by impeccable example.

Published with the permission of Dr Kamran Abbasi. Also posted at cricinfo.com

The Pakistan people and cricket will be the biggest victims from this yet by being forgotten, they’re are in effect indirectly blamed for it. We hope that this is not a sign of things to come otherwise the future will be truly bleak.

“At the moment it’s the safety of the people hurt [that is the main concern]. We’ve got some good friends in the Sri Lankan team, the Indians are also close to a lot of them. But I suppose it’s tough for Pakistan cricket to come back from this, for no fault of their own.” – Daniel Vettori, New Zealand captain

Thank you Daniel.