Karachi Chronicles Chapter 15

I feel Pakistan is widely misunderstood in the Western world. Although the warnings of terrorism, crime and bombings were coming from the ill informed, it was still clear that security was important for this trip. Regular correspondence from the Australian Federal Police and consular staff on the ground, along with a raft of Pakistani security intelligence had as more informed than those at home on professor google. We were also fortunate, that our arrival was preceded by tours from the Nepalese Men’s and South African Women’s teams.

Pre-trip, plenty of evidence suggested a solid security presence was being implemented for the tour. How extensive, was unknown prior to our inception, but all the correspondence pointed to us being well looked after. Upon arrival, from the first police escort to entrance at the fortified and well secured hotel complex, it was immediately apparent we were in good hands. It needs to be stated here, I think this was more out of extreme caution than that we were under any immediate threat. This was reafirmed by many of the locals stating, "if anything happens to you that will be bad for the whole country as no other teams will ever tour again."

On the first day we were informed that leaving the hotel unescorted was not an option. Any movement by the Australian team also required 24 hours notice so that our security protocol could be organised. For the record, “Protocol” is the local loanword for security detail. Over the three week duration of our stay we lived by the protocol. Although it took a bit of an adjustment things ran pretty well, largely thanks to the efforts of our Coach, Nathan King, in liaising with the locals during our trip. Occasionally things were delayed, or ran on “Fiji time,” but that is understandable when dealing with complex protocol facilitating the movement of eight teams to four grounds at the same time.

Kingy is from Western Australia and it’s not a stretch to say without him this tour may not have happened. His calm demeanour under foreign and often challenging circumstances was exemplary. He had a song lyric for almost any situation and when the mood needed to be lightened always seemed to produce the right one-liner to interject. When push came to shove Kingy also kept meticulous statistics and juggled the troops as best he could. One of the highlights of our post game meetings was Coach regaling us with where we sat on the wicket or runs tally for touring Australians.

Early in the tour we were mainly escorted by the local police force and traffic police. This even included an escort for a two minute trip around the corner for our first training session at the Karachi Gymkhana. To paint the picture clearly, the nets were right over the razor wire topped fence surrounding the hotel carpark. For us to be transported in this manner showed they were not taking any chances with our safety. Initially there was some speculation about a secret gate between the hotel and the ground. Eventually, this unfortunately turned out to just be a funnily shaped and well positioned tree spied by someone from a tenth floor window.

When the tournament proper started, there was a noticeable increase in security, with a large military contingent of Pakistani Rangers taking charge. Undoubtedly due to our schedule being public knowledge from that point on. That's not to say they weren't about before and I'm also intentionally being vague here. However, I'd guess there was a lot going on that we didn't know about. Gliding down cleared highways guided by multiple jeeps full of Rangers was a surreal experience. Not only did it ensure our safety it also made traversing the mayhem that is Karachi traffic far smoother.

Security also maintained a strong perimeter around our hotel complex. High, razor wire topped walls, set back from the hotel established a solid barrier. Heavily armed guards manned the gates and every vehicle was thoroughly checked before entry to the carpark was permitted. Once inside more armed guards were stationed at vantage points around the premises and these were only the ones we were supposed to know about. Everyone needed to then pass through a metal detector and any bags required an X-ray to be allowed inside. This even included our kits after each days play. It’s definitely better to be safe than sorry and with minimal inconvenience, this made our stay more comfortable.

Often the protocol changed depending on our situation and location. Sometimes when we travelled at night we were flanked by extra Rangers in Jeeps. This was likely due to us having to move through regular traffic as opposed to the cleared streets when going to and from matches. I also noticed an added layer on our trips out shopping. In these cases we were accompanied by special police that looked pretty badass. A guy with a big gun getting doubled on a Harley, both men clad in black leather, it gave off some serious terminator vibes. All jokes aside, the way they kept anyone away from our bus amongst all the chaos was seriously skilful.

Seeing people with machine guns and being escorted around was definitely second nature after a few days. That being said, there were still a fair few moments when I was reminded that this wasn’t Ballina anymore. A moment on our last minute foray to a local residence after the cancelled dinner at the Sind club, took the cake for me. At this particular shindig, we were chilling with the likes of the American Consulate General, so they weren’t taking any chances.

While enjoying the fantastic hospitality, I had a good chat with the tournament organiser Fawad. At some point, the conversation shifted to how most of the delays were due to security protocol. During which, he reiterated that most of the security measures were for the Australian team. Specifically, he implored me to check the roof of the building as I left later that evening. Initially forgetting this, just as I was hoping on the bus to depart, I turned back to peer up at the roof of the two storey main residence. Sure enough, up in the shadows were at least three military personnel with guns, who had been watching over everything the whole time.

Another classic moment was towards the end of the trip. Botty decided to order the crew some KFC and have it delivered to the hotel. After waiting for hours and clogging the group chat with increasingly urgent updates, the news finally broke that the order was cancelled. Apparently, it wasn’t allowed into the hotel due to security reasons. It turns out that criminals often dress as delivery drivers to commit crimes and also evade detection when fleeing the scene. Not to let the boys down, Botty made a few enquiries and the KFC finally arrived before then being inhaled by the team in minutes. Most remarkably the only reason the food arrived was due to a Jeep full of Rangers driving down to the shop and collecting the food for the lads. Not your average delivery by anyone's definition, but yet another fantastic demonstration of Pakistan’s hospitality.

As the routine of the protocol set in over the trip we became familiar with a lot of the security guys. Although there were far too many to be on a first name basis, I made sure to work in a healthy greeting each day and to stop for a chat whenever possible. Early on, in the chaos, this was often a simple Salam-Alaikum, which always elicited Wa Alaikum-Salam in response. Translated it means peace be upon you and upon you be peace. Eventually, by the end of the trip we were getting photos in the Rangers’ jeeps and joking around like lifelong friends.

Nearing the end of our three week stay we had all formed an awesome bond based on mutual respect. Everyday we had the same crew looking after us. I know most of them had families and they were still there day in day out. I’m sure if in the unlikely event anything happened they would have been put in a dangerous position. Not only does that show you how much they wanted the tour to succeed it also shows how welcoming the people of this country are.

I think when you are on the ground, rubbing shoulders with these fellow human beings it really flips the script. Many people removed from the situation have negative connotations of the situation but it was actually great to be around these guys and get their perspectives on life in Karachi. Although our cultures may be different in many ways it demonstrates that, on an individual level, we all have so much in common. Accordingly, just before we took our final ride to the airport for departure, I made sure to thank them all for being away from their families to make sure we could all return to ours.