A small price to pay for safety

No normal sport in an abnormal society. This was the rallying cry of the South African Council on Sport over three decades ago. And although it was with reference to apartheid, the slogan can be applied universally. To Zimbabwe, which practices a form of apartheid in reverse in cricket, and to Pakistan, a major cricketing country on the verge of collapse, writes Suresh Menon on ESPNStar.

To argue that the tournament is two years away and therefore the ruling is premature is specious. The venues that will now replace the ones in Pakistan need time to prepare. And it is sensible to decide early enough to avoid endless speculation and lobbying. Lahore busted the myth of the safety of cricket in the subcontinent, the myth that cricket and cricketers would never be harmed by terrorists. And cricket's biggest showpiece cannot afford to take a chance - emotion cannot be allowed to rule over practicality.