Please don't do it

Tell me, why don’t you want to go to Pakistan? Is it because you think you will be killed? Yes, I think you will say. Come on, mates. Get out of your living zones, and see the world. You walk on a playing field, but many live on a mine-field. No, no, I am not saying you too take the cudgel and fight the world. But I am just asking/imploring you to show some respect to the lives that fight it out every day.

You were born somewhere which luckily doesn’t face these problems very often. But just think, if you weren’t born there? OK, you are lucky. You aren’t crusaders either. But think seriously, do you actually help the world by not going there? In fact, do you help yourselves by not going there? There may not be anybody who wants to kill you now, but next time, there may be disgruntled souls wanting to bomb you off. Not everybody is strong, just as you are not.

Why don't you realize, that this whole nonsense of terrorism and counter-terrorism which you want to aid is the genesis of itself? There is no solution for it, save cutting off this very genesis of discrimination, hate, suspicion, fear, prejudice etc. See, I didn’t say that you are whites. Blacks, browns, pinks, yellows –all colours if they exist- are equally short-sighted.

So, as cricketers, please don’t exhibit this antipathy. You play cricket which is a wonderful game. It is wonderful for us, the spectators too. It energizes you, but it enlivens us. And what better to give lives to many dormant and distorted souls if you think they really are there? You will never feel better than that.

I will envy you then. Frankly speaking, I am not that strong either. And if confronted with a similar situation, I too will follow the same course as you. But as I say often-“That doesn’t make it right, and in fact, highlights more that only a few strong can follow the right”, the above will come to guide me too hopefully.