Shootout in Lahore

[Pratters]

A sad and terrible incident. I have always wondered why players aren't attacked as they are so easy targets and an attack on players would be sensational news as it is. This is a huge success for the terrorist group to create such loud noises by killing and injuring a few innocent people.

I feel for every one - the common Pakistani for the futrue of his country, the killed brave police guards, the Sri Lankan players and the shame this incident brings to the Pakistani nation and cricket.

Also, some one please ban Voltman for good. He makes stupid jokes after every tragic incident trying to draw attention for god knows what.

 

[archie mac]

Sad news, but good news there were no cricketers killed

 

[alternative]

Extremely sad news. Haven't gone throught the entire thread as of yet but i'm certainly hoping that the culprit was found or shot dead. On the bright side agree with Archie that thankfully no players died in this shootout.

 

[Smudge]

Also, some one please ban Voltman for good. He makes stupid jokes after every tragic incident trying to draw attention for god knows what.

If the posts are reported, and I'm banned on the decision of the mods, so be it.

 

[0RI0N]

I hope that the SL players are not seriously injured.
Thank goodness for the brave guards who put their lives on the line the protect others...


A very sad day for world sport.
Alas poor Pakistan cricket...

 

[Hoggy31]

If the posts are reported, and I'm banned on the decision of the mods, so be it.

You cold hearted monster.

 

[Shaggy Alfresco]

Holy ****. I haven't been this shaken by a piece of news since 9/11.

Same. I couldn't believe my eyes when I turned on the news and saw bullet holes in the bus window. Heartbreaking.

 

[duffer]

Mumbai shook me far more than anything since 9/11. This saddens me a lot but a part of me suspected that it was only a matter of time before cricket was caught up in something like this anyway.

There's no comparison between the two for me.

 

[Julian87]

Plenty of information from consulates, foreign affairs depts, experts etc. This isn't hindsight, it was foresight that something could happen, and they were right - it did.

Yeah, that's how I see it as well.

 

[Son Of Coco]

You cold hearted monster.

 

[The Sean]

Absolutely shocking news - I'm very pleased to hear that the Sri Lankan players escaped (relatively) unscathed, but the loss of life of the security personnel is no less tragic than if it had been a cricketer. A truly awful day for Pakistan and cricket.

 

[Beleg]

It has absolutely nothing to do with hindsight. Care to explain the fact that nothing, absolutely nothing has been done to get rid of the Taliban and their influence over Pakistan?

The phrase you are looking for is 'religious fundamentalists'. 'Taleban' works as an umbrella term for organisations with a religious bent resisting the central government in certain parts of the country but in this particular instance, the usage is akin to labelling all bodies clamouring for North Irish secession as Provisional IRA.

Phrases like 'absolutely nothing' showcase your ignorance of the Pakistani social set-up. Religious fundamentalism is an integral part of the Pakistani society - in many ways it is the fabric that binds the often highly disparate social elements into a loosely cohesive unit; it is employed as a substitute to nationalism, or ethno-centricism, and as a normalising element.

The 'civillian' government is, effectively, fighting against the people it claims to represent. Growing up, the 'injustices' SJS lists are drilled into the minds of every young kid - it underlines a particular mindset. The sense of entitlement stems, in my opinion, from the policies encouraged by successive ruling parties in the wake of 1971 - i.e. an artifical sense of community and brotherhood - the one big happy muslim family - and for good or bad, a lot of people latched on to it, and a lot of people aspire towards achieving that.

The fact that still today terrorists in Pakistan continue to grow and multiply?

It is not a fact. It is your opinion. At the risk of sounding paternalistic, it stems more from sensationalism and inherent socio-cultural bias then an actual understanding or knowledge of the 'terrorist' activities in the country.

The fact that today there are more terrorist attacks in Pakistan then there has ever been before?

Answering the spirit, rather than the opinionated assertion, of your statement - what leads you to believe that is so? Are you aware of the sectarian and ethnic violence that gripped the country in the late 80s/early 90s? Karachi city's history? the late sixties? the mid seventies?

This hurts me too mate, the sub continent and cricket needs a thriving, peaceful Pakistan.

Cricket doesn't. But cricket is immaterial, really, in the bigger picture.

But that's the problem with Pakistan, they fail to acknowledge they have a problem. They have a huge problem and now is the time to step up and do something about it.

Again, your ignorance and assumptiousness is breathtaking in its magnitude. Most people acknowledge that something needs to be done to assuage the cultural clash - and many of us realise that it isn't merely a case of destroying 'enemy' bases and rooting out 'detrimental alien' elements. In this case, it's the Pakistani people themselves who are both the aggressors and the victims.

 

[Flem274*]

Deepest condolences to everyone involved, including the terrorists even, to be so misguided makes for a poor and ultimately futile life.

Also, the work of these terrorists is even on here, they attack to cause fear and to divide, and on CW division is already happening in this thread, on a much smaller scale of course but its in here, when really what happens in here (jokes, hindsight arguing etc) doesn't mean jack ****, its whats out there that matters.

Pakistan cricket is in a bad state now, but its not the death. Everyone in pakistan loves cricket, and I can't see international teams refusing to tour forever. it will take time but it will work out.

I was talking with friends earlier about how death is the only thing that can make you truly appreciate life, and with these attacks that feeling of mine is definitely reinforced. Tommorrow it might all end, and that is a sobering thought.

 

[Uppercut]

Mumbai shook me far more than anything since 9/11. This saddens me a lot but a part of me suspected that it was only a matter of time before cricket was caught up in something like this anyway.

There's no comparison between the two for me.

Yeah, with the news that the players are okay and having given it a while to sink in, I'll give a shot at explaining why this particular attack hit home so hard.

The main aspect is that it hit home so hard because there are people I'm familiar with involved. They aren't people i know personally, nor would I agree with people who say they feel like they know them, but their lives are stories that I've been following for a long, long time. When you watch Thilan Samaraweera raise his bat after massive centuries, Ajantha Mendis excite the cricketing world more than any other new player in my time of watching cricket, when you read Kumar Sangakkara's blogs and debate whether he's amongst the greatest batsmen in the world, it's an absolutely massive shock when you wake up in the morning and go to check how they're doing in their match and discover they've all been shot and are lying in hospital.

The other aspect is pure disbelief. 9/11 was a shock in that noone saw it coming, Mumbai came out of the blue, but this was something that everyone almost had prior warning of. I thought- it should have been the case- that Pakistani security would be so strenuous, so unbelievably tight, that such an attack could not be possible. These are players who went to Pakistan on a show of solidarity, from a country that has had its fair share of problems of its own. Surely they would be treated like kings, the heroes who embrace a country the rest of the world has shunned? Truth be told, Pakistani security has let everyone down, and I still can't quite grasp how this has been allowed to happen.

I know there's no comparison between this and Mumbai in terms of the scale of tragedy involved. But for me, personally, it hits homes twice as hard.


All that said, I'm with Volty. I really do love jokes at times of tragedy .

 

[Pratters]

You cold hearted monster.

What the heck. These guys are destroying the thread and no one is taking is any action despite Jack's initital post to stop the rubbish. A member of Voltman's experience in the forum shouldn't be allowed to troll the forum like this and it isn't the first time he has done it either. I have nothing against him personally as I feel he is a fairly ok poster but such a habit of laughing after every tragic event is unacceptable where I am concerned.

Cheers.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

I have nothing against him personally as I feel he is a fairly ok poster but such a habit of laughing after every tragic event is unacceptable where I am concerned.

People deal with tragic events in different ways. Who are you to judge.

 

[Uppercut]

The phrase you are looking for is 'religious fundamentalists'. 'Taleban' works as an umbrella term for organisations with a religious bent resisting the central government in certain parts of the country but in this particular instance, the usage is akin to labelling all bodies clamouring for North Irish secession as Provisional IRA.

^.-

 

[Beleg]

What the heck. These guys are destroying the thread and no one is taking is any action despite Jack's initital post to stop the rubbish. A member of Voltman's experience in the forum shouldn't be allowed to troll the forum like this and it isn't the first time he has done it either. I have nothing against him personally as I feel he is a fairly ok poster but such a habit of laughing after every tragic event is unacceptable where I am concerned.

Cheers.

And it's totally acceptable as far as I am concerned. Voltman isn't being disrespectful, and even if he was, it's his prerogative.

 

[duffer]

Yeah, with the news that the players are okay and having given it a while to sink in, I'll give a shot at explaining why this particular attack hit home so hard.

The main aspect is that it hit home so hard because there are people I'm familiar with involved. They aren't people i know personally, nor would I agree with people who say they feel like they know them, but their lives are stories that I've been following for a long, long time. When you watch Thilan Samaraweera raise his bat after massive centuries, Ajantha Mendis excite the cricketing world more than any other new player in my time of watching cricket, when you read Kumar Sangakkara's blogs and debate whether he's amongst the greatest batsmen in the world, it's an absolutely massive shock when you wake up in the morning and go to check how they're doing in their match and discover they've all been shot and are lying in hospital.

The other aspect is pure disbelief. 9/11 was a shock in that noone saw it coming, Mumbai came out of the blue, but this was something that everyone almost had prior warning of. I thought- it should have been the case- that Pakistani security would be so strenuous, so unbelievably tight, that such an attack could not be possible. These are players who went to Pakistan on a show of solidarity, from a country that has had its fair share of problems of its own. Surely they would be treated like kings, the heroes who embrace a country the rest of the world has shunned? Truth be told, Pakistani security has let everyone down, and I still can't quite grasp how this has been allowed to happen.

I know there's no comparison between this and Mumbai in terms of the scale of tragedy involved. But for me, personally, it hits homes twice as hard.


All that said, I'm with Volty. I really do love jokes at times of tragedy .

Mumbai hit home worse for me because of my heritage and because I have a lot of family in the city who frequent the areas which were beamed all over the world. I think pretty much every Indian would feel the same way but for non-Indians maybe "knowing" the people involved like we do would invoke the same sort of feelings.

 

[honestbharani]

Same reason they keep allowing you on here. Entertainment.


Certainly unfortunate what's happened, although I'm not going to offer my condolences to the families of the dead because - well - let's be honest, they ain't going to read this. Glib sympathies are pointless, as far as I'm concerned.

Biggest loser in this is Pakistan cricket.


And for anyone who doesn't like my cheesy, occasionally offensive and occasionally predictable humour, I'm sure you can put me on ignore - I'm not going to lose any sleep over it.

You don't express sympathy based on whether they are going to hear you. This is a bloody forum and you post whatever you feel. You feel A is a better player than B, you post it. You think event C should not have happened. You post it. It is not dependent on whether A or B will read this. Similarly, almost everyone in here feel sorry for what has happened and the brave souls who have lost their lives trying to protect our cricket heroes and hence they have posted it here... It is not dependent on whether they read it or not...


In fact, posting your sympathy only if someone concerned will read it is what hits me as being "glib sympathy"...