{"id":241391,"date":"2025-02-18T10:46:31","date_gmt":"2025-02-18T10:46:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2025\/02\/18\/time-to-pay-tribute-to-the-resilience-of-pakistan-cricket-former-skipper-ahead-of-champions-trophy-cricket-news-the-times-of-india\/"},"modified":"2025-02-18T10:46:32","modified_gmt":"2025-02-18T10:46:32","slug":"time-to-pay-tribute-to-the-resilience-of-pakistan-cricket-former-skipper-ahead-of-champions-trophy-cricket-news-the-times-of-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2025\/02\/18\/time-to-pay-tribute-to-the-resilience-of-pakistan-cricket-former-skipper-ahead-of-champions-trophy-cricket-news-the-times-of-india\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Time to pay tribute to the resilience of Pakistan cricket’: Former skipper ahead of Champions Trophy | Cricket News – The Times of India"},"content":{"rendered":"
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ICC Champions Trophy 2025 (AP Photo)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

NEW DELHI: Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official Wasim Bari<\/a> has expressed his delight at the return of a major international cricketing event to Pakistan through the ICC Champions Trophy<\/a>.
After the tragic militant attack on the Sri Lankan team in 2009, Pakistan was unable to host international cricket for a decade, forcing the team to play their home matches in the United Arab Emirates.
Bari, who served as the Director in the PCB under the late Ejaz Butt’s chairmanship during the attack, vividly recalls the harrowing experience. He described it as the worst day of his life when news of the attack near the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore broke. The incident left everyone numb, realizing that it would set back Pakistan cricket for years.
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The attack, which claimed the lives of six policemen and two others, and injured several, including Pakistani umpire Ahsan Raza, was a traumatic event.
Bari recounted the disbelief and sorrow that followed, as the governments of both nations and the ICC became involved, eventually arranging a chartered flight to send the Sri Lankan team back home.
“It was the worst day in my life when news came through of what had happened. Everyone was numb and most of us in our offices realised immediately this was going to put Pakistan cricket back by a few years,” said Bari, as quoted by PTI.<\/p>\n

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As images of the bullet-ridden bus and vans carrying match officials and umpires in blood-stained shirts went viral, it became evident that Pakistan’s hopes of staging the Champions Trophy or even the 2011 World Cup matches had vanished.
Without assigning blame, Bari acknowledged that the incident should never have occurred, and as a result, Pakistan cricket could not properly grow for the next 10 years, as all teams refused to play in the country due to security concerns.<\/p>\n

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However, Bari is now delighted to witness the ICC Champions Trophy being held in Pakistan, with multiple teams, including England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and Afghanistan, arriving in the country.
“To see England, Australian, South African, New Zealand and Afghanistan teams in Karachi and Lahore means so much to all Pakistani cricketers, board officials and the fans. I think it is also a time to pay tribute to the resilience of Pakistan cricket while hosting the Champions Trophy, after all that has happened in the last 10 years,” the former Pakistan skipper added.
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