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What Rick says…
By Will 5 years ago, at the end of October Add your comment below
Michael Vaughan and others yesterday visited an area devastated by Pakistan’s earthquake. And the other day, Rick asked: What is cricket doing for the earthquake victims?
I suppose I’d like to ask: what can anyone really do for the victims? Does the sight of wealthy western people who play a sport for a living, travelling to an earthquake-devastated region make your blood boil? It’s something I’ve never quite grasped, nor worked out whether I feel angry or bitter about. Yes, it’s a nice gesture for Vaughan to go and say hello – but what can he, or any of his team-mates, actually do?
Tags: earthquake, england-in-pakistan, michael-vaughan, pakistan, pakistan-earthquake |
12 Responses to “What Rick says…”
October 29th, 2005 at 5.23 pm
October 29th, 2005 at 5.34 pm
If I was part of the English team I don’t know if I would visit any of the Earthquake victims at this time. This is a big tragedy and it prays on your mind, especially as you feel you should be doing something but really you cannot do anything significant. If the English players continue to think about it their focus will be lost. Then again Pakistan may not require full focus but anything less will be less professional.
October 29th, 2005 at 5.35 pm
BTW Vaughan and co. didn’t go to an actual earth quake affected area, they just went to a hospital in Islamabad, PIMS that is, who was lookiing after some of the victims.
October 29th, 2005 at 6.08 pm
I disagree Mesbah.
Moral responsibility is more important in my eyes then professional responsibility. And if England are really a professional side, they will not lose focus no matter what.
I would have been really disappointed if England hadn’t visited those affected, it would have been impolite and un-courteous. I’m pleased they have, although perhaps it could have been done with a little less publicity. Charity, after all, is dearest to God when it’s done quietly.
October 29th, 2005 at 6.09 pm
I’m sorry Mesbah, but I totally disagree. Somethings are bigger and more important then wanting to keep your focus for the cricket, this kind of tragedy is just that ‘thing’. I would have been really disappointed if England hadn’t actually visited any of those affected, it would have been impolite and un-courteous not to.
However, I’m not sure why it should have been publicised like it has been, charity is most rewarding in God’s eyes when it’s done quietly.
October 29th, 2005 at 6.10 pm
They raise awareness. I read about Earthquake victims in this mornings paper, not Loudon’s doosra.
October 29th, 2005 at 6.16 pm
My thoughts were open-ended and slightly philosophical. I don’t deny Vaughan should have gone to the hospital, but in the big scheme of things what can he, or any sportsman really do?
I haven’t the intelligence or knowledge to debate this on a particularly deep level, but for whatever reason, I find the act of sportsmen going to “help” disaster areas oddly unsettling. How must the victims feel when they see these weird, shiny westerners flanked by TV cameras and press pricks nosing around while they lie there, half-dead? If anyone knows what I mean, and can help elaborate, then please do!
October 29th, 2005 at 6.16 pm
Good point, Jan.
October 29th, 2005 at 6.29 pm
Some of the victims might know who the cricketers are, I told you earlier I spotted a boy in a cricket shirt (with both legs fractured) in another Pindi hospital. If he’d been visited by Vaughan, I’m sure it must have raised his spirits … (which is important, because people need to be held psychologically as well). Don’t think of it is sportsmen going to disaster areas to “help” , call it consoling or comforting, for actual help they’ll raise (or try to) raise money, and create awareness as Jan said, in a hope to make others donate.
And then there’s the lame argument: doing something is better then doing nothing.
October 29th, 2005 at 6.31 pm
bad typo, I meant helped psychologically, not held. BAD BAD BAD typo. I hate my typing.
October 29th, 2005 at 8.11 pm
Zainub I have come to agree with you that the visit may have been needed and was quite the courteous thing to do. However it will require quite a bit of effort to keep thoughts of the suffering away from your mind. It is a big disaster after all.
November 1st, 2005 at 4.36 pm
Will, I think I understand where you are coming from, and what you mean, but I like Jan’s point about awareness. Also, if I were in hospital and one of my heroes visited me, it would cheer me up no end, give me a reason to get well, live and give back to cricket.
Being in a European country where lots of our cricketers come from India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, we were able to do a lot this year for the tsunami and earthquake victims, by knowing the right people and making sure that our donations went to the right people, getting help to those needy areas.
So I hope and believe that those fat-cat western cricketers eg Vaughen and Warne – who are also astute businessmen, will not allow their donations be lost in administration but will actually do the necessary for those in need.
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