2009 TO 2012

Bin Laden is wanted dead or alive by the United States and a bounty is placed on his head. Once upon a time that honor was held by a Somali warlord named Adid. I was in Nairobi while Mr. Adid was bunkered down at the Nairobi Hilton. When Mr. Adid traveled between the airport and hotel, beggars, bystanders, hawkers, rats, vermin, populations of all description disappeared as his convoy passed. When motorcycles blocked the street entrances there was nothing to arrest. Birds did not fly. Time and the elements stood still in fear of retribution. Another time I watched from my balcony as Rajiv Ghandi, the Indian prime minister, was transported to and from airport to a convention site in downtown Vancouver by helicopter gun-ships. The bill for security for the Winter Olympics in Vancouver in 2010 may be in excess of $1 billion. Ticket prices and availability are equally staggering.

What the Pakistani's provided to the Sri Lankan cricketers at Lahore was tissue paper and band aid against rocket launchers and grenades. It is use full to remember that the venue for the contest in Lahore was the Gaddafi Stadium. The good colonel was sponsoring infra structure projects in Pakistan at the same time he was accused of state sponsored terrorism by the Brits and Yanks and before the U.S. of A was sponsoring Bin Laden against the Soviets in Afghanistan. Islamic militancy, terrorism, partition, call it what you will, the Pakistani's have a rich legacy or association with movements of violence. When the ICC sanctions an event between national sides they must guarantee security. The game must go on. Conversely once a rotation or cycle has been agreed there can be no free lancing. The new reality is that the wealth accruing to cricket must be spent to keep the game alive. International cricketers, men, women, under 19's, administrators must be prepared to step in harm's way. They are entitled to all the security it is possible to muster. We cannot retreat international cricket from Pakistan. We can insist the ICC provide oversight. We can also insist the various cricketing boards and associations, (including the International Olympic Committees), lower their prices to these international events so we can see what we are being threatened with missing.

In 2012 Canada will host the Under 19 Cricket World Cup. As host Canada must provide the best security money can buy and the country can provide. The Nepalese, Pakistani's, Indians, Sri Lankans, Bangladeshi's, will be there. So will their fans and detractors. Allah be praised, the Afghani's, Palestinian's and Israeli's will not. Are we Canadians equipped to cope with the logistics of the new world order when we have not got our infra structure requirements sorted. Curiously Canada may be well equipped to host one of the World Cup groups of four in Vancouver because of the proximity of HMCS Discovery armed forces base to the two cricket pitches at Brockton Point in Stanley Park. The area is contained and easily secured. The ICC and CCA would require the permission of the armed forces to use HMCS Discovery as a staging or residential area for participants in the tournament.