Karachi attack: Former intl cricketers refuse to play Ramazan matches

E-Paper | March 17, 2026

KARACHI: Following the terrorist attack at the Jinnah International Airport, former cricketers have refused to come to Karachi to play the Ramazan Cricket Tournament, DawnNews reported.

The attack on the airport has affected ongoing and upcoming sporting activities.

Talks have been underway to bring in a number of international players to Pakistan for the tournament, most of whom have reportedly excused themselves from participating after the attack on Jinnah International Airport.

Those who have refused to take part include former South African opening batsman Herschelle Gibbs and New Zealand’s former strike bowler Jacob Oram.

The news has come as a serious blow to the efforts being put in to bring back cricket in Pakistan.

Pakistan has not hosted any international matches since the attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore in 2009.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and other organisations are active in managing events where former international cricketers can be invited to the country to send a message across the world that Pakistan was a safe place for sporting activities.

The recent attack on the airport could roll back the entire process to bring cricket back in Pakistan.

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Anoop

Jun 09, 2014 06:13pm

Unfortunate but this has put back active international sports in Pakistan by another few years :(

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dr vimal raina

Jun 09, 2014 06:14pm

If not cricket, please come for the polio drops.

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Faisal Tanveer

Jun 09, 2014 06:17pm

coward cricketers

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Rattan

Jun 09, 2014 06:48pm

@Faisal Tanveer please fix yout country first then blame othera for being cowards.

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chotu

Jun 09, 2014 06:59pm

@Faisal Tanveer are you out of your mind, why someone will put there life in danger for cricket

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Shri

Jun 09, 2014 06:59pm

@Faisal Tanveer Shaabash , Faisal. Only you are the bravest!

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independentthinker

Jun 09, 2014 07:26pm

Who could blame them from not coming to Pakistan? I have been considering coming to Pakistan for the past 6 years, but am continuing to hesitate - and I am a born Pakistani and spent several years of my life living in Pakistan! It is indeed a shame that we can't invite visitors to Pakistan and even scare our own citizens from returning back. Something needs to be done - and done NOW!

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Naseer

Jun 09, 2014 07:30pm

We live in a constant state of fear in Pakistan. Thousands of innocent Pakistanis are killed by terrorists each year. In this situation, we shouldn't expect any foreigners visiting Pakistan and we can not blame them. Taliban are giving a very bad name to our peaceful religion our prophet PBUH. Taliban are the worst enemies of Islam and Pakistan.

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Shahpur

Jun 09, 2014 07:34pm

You can not blame these people. Just look around. Is this a place you want to play Cricket?

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Irfan

Jun 09, 2014 07:34pm

Please tell them your nuclear power. That might give them some confidence.

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Sunil

Jun 09, 2014 07:41pm

The whole nation fears TTP.

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Qamar

Jun 09, 2014 07:41pm

I do not blame the foreign players for not playing in Pakistan because we are yet to put our act together for ensuring security. By the way, cricket in Ramazan??? Whose bright idea???

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Sunil

Jun 09, 2014 07:41pm

The whole nation fears TTP, which can come any moment from anywhere at any point.

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S.H.Moulana

Jun 09, 2014 08:20pm

Why do you want cricket? This is more exciting than any sport!

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Akbar

Jun 09, 2014 08:53pm

They Are Not Coward.They Are Right. They Do Not Want To Die Like Our People In Pakistan.

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Sajjad

Jun 09, 2014 08:56pm

They are well within their rights to refuse, I won't be going to watch world cup even for free if its being held in let's say Somalia ( since am a seafarer so Piracy is my concern ). Its not being coward as mentioned by Mr.Faisal but prudent. I am sorry for Pakistan and really depressed , don't know how's this all will end?

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reality check

Jun 09, 2014 09:02pm

@Faisal Tanveer they are cricketers not fighters. and moreover not even Pakistani cricketers. so why should some one risk own life for betterment of other country's cricket

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Aziz

Jun 09, 2014 09:15pm

@Faisal Tanveer It is not being coward, it is called being smart. Feel free to call yourself brave if you do not run away when a blast goes off a few yards from you. Until then, I will be happy with the coward title.

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Samina

Jun 09, 2014 09:18pm

@dr vimal raina totally irrelevant, and makes no sense whatsoever

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Samina

Jun 09, 2014 09:20pm

@dr vimal raina totally irrelevant, and makes no sense whatsoever

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BRR

Jun 09, 2014 09:32pm

Pakistanis are like Nero - playing the fiddle while Karachi burns.

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independentthinker

Jun 09, 2014 09:57pm

@Faisal Tanveer If you are living in Pakistan - I bet you can't wait to get out and will, if given a chance! And if you are abroad, why don't you go back and then condemn the cricketers!

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Gulzar Hyat

Jun 09, 2014 10:33pm

@KH.ASIF and Qaim Ali Shah should take responsibilities and resigned.

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h.n .choudhary

Jun 09, 2014 10:49pm

@Samina it is awesome for all our countary and bad romur I feel all that happen very bad

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h.n .choudhary

Jun 09, 2014 10:49pm

@Samina it is awesome for all our countary and bad romur I feel all that happen very bad

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zawar shah

Jun 09, 2014 11:14pm

Please go and see a Dr

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Ek Brit

Jun 09, 2014 11:26pm

Sparrow has flown ,so sad!!

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Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad

Jun 09, 2014 11:35pm

What a shame?

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AJamal

Jun 09, 2014 11:37pm

Their stand is very much understood and appreciated. We need to put our house in order first and use Ramadan as an opportunity to seek Allah's forgiveness.

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Junaid

Jun 09, 2014 11:52pm

Just tell them they are coming here for a press conference and once they are here give them a bat and ball and out them to work.

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Jun 10, 2014 12:18am

Ignore all the bombings, muggings, target killings, riots, civil unrest etc and Pakistan is a very safe country. That's the message we are sending to all the foreign teams and investors.

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Anarchist

Jun 10, 2014 01:12am

@Rattan Correct. When Pakistan is facing an existential threat and security situation is deteroriating by hour, we want cricket. Folks, please wake up. First save the country and then you may watch cricket.

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Anarchist

Jun 10, 2014 01:12am

@S.H.Moulana Thanks for a failed attempt at being cute.

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Anarchist

Jun 10, 2014 01:15am

@BRR Not that its important, but its a myth that Nero was playing flute while Rome was burning. Our ruling elites though are doing what is wrongly attributed to Nero. But again we deserve this for a number of reasons, not to mention electing same old faces again and again.

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omar

Jun 10, 2014 02:29am

No need to host cricket matches in Pakistan, until we clear our terroism mess. We cannot protect our own citizens, forget about foriegners.

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Dr. Sehar Khan

Jun 10, 2014 02:31am

@Faisal Tanveer ... That is the mindset in Pakistan, clean your house, don't blame others. There is a difference between bravery and stupidity.

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wsyed

Jun 10, 2014 02:50am

It would be polite and wise to have cancelled the event in view of the continued threat to life and property. Successive governments and political parties have failed to bring peace to the country and in some cases are part and parcel in violence. How can one stop anything when people supposed to stop it are part of it. What is the solution? Talks do not go anywhere, yet people hope but nothing changes, other than rights abuse, terror, religious extremism (stupidity), and more. The security forces are supposedly ready to face big powers but cannot stop the not so sophisticated domestic enemy. The outcome is going to depend on how far the Will of the people will make the government act on and represent that will. So far, it seems the Will is lacking or the government is failing to represent. Perhaps gains from corruption and inaction outweigh the penalty of inaction.

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Musarrat Javed

Jun 10, 2014 04:05am

Can some body tell me this attack was from good Taliban or bad Taliban. Why international cricketer. Taliban are our cricket team let them play on all piches.

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Abdul

Jun 10, 2014 05:16am

Too much cricket, Can't we forget cricket at least for Ramadan?

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Ahmed

Jun 10, 2014 07:37am

@Musarrat Javed Ask Musharraf. He is residing in Karachi and he is the one who used to distinguish between good and bad taliban. So, he should be able to tell if this latest outrage is from good or bad taliban.

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Rev. Eldrick Lal

Jun 10, 2014 09:02am

International cricket will never return to Pakistan if this madness will continue.

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dr vimal raina

Jun 10, 2014 09:44am

@Samina That Samina is the exact point. The world is becoming absurd day by day, and more so with tragic surreal aclarity in Pakistan. Here is the picture. Here are two retired international players, who are being paid to come into Pakistan, to resurrect world's confidence in Pakistan's security, to play a cricket tournament that has a pious prefix to it. And here are more than you 'pious' jihadis who are blowing everything pious that is to humanity be it minorities or religious places or girls school. We have silent flow of pain and tragedy in Pakistan with people being displaced from their homes, maybe never to go back again. Where do they end up but the slums of a volatile Karachi. And there are some people who say it is kind of good because children who have never been vaccinated against polio can now be vaccinated. It is blowing my mind of with a visualization of these international cricketers coming into Jinnah airport where maybe, they will see polio booths. I just made a statement out of anguish. No wonder it made no sense to you. Nothing nowadays does.

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Valiya

Jun 10, 2014 12:57pm

@Faisal Tanveer Life is precious for others Mr. Tanveer

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Suq Madieq

Jun 10, 2014 03:21pm

@Irfan . Legendary comment. Hat tip to you Sir.

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Suq Madieq

Jun 10, 2014 03:23pm

I thought Ramadan was a festival where we hoard food grains so we can sell it for lot higher price to the poor and make money.

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Husain Jan

Jun 11, 2014 10:16am

@Faisal Tanveer You seem to have posted this comment just to see the reaction. If you really mean what you say then suffice to say that your comment totally defies logic as well as any sense.

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Ravi Dallas TX

Jun 11, 2014 04:21pm

Is there even a doubt?

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