WATERLOO, Ontario — In recent years, Australia, England and New Zealand have canceled cricketing tours of Pakistan because of concern for the physical safety of their teams. At best, Australia agreed to play Pakistan in the neutral venue of Abu Dhabi next month.
The four South Asian cricketing boards of Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka had shown solidarity in treating any danger to players' lives as a collateral risk of life.
When terrorists struck Mumbai on Nov. 26, the English cricket team was touring India. Indeed the team was booked at the Taj Hotel, one of the high-profile casualties of that attack, just a few days later for a match against Mumbai.