As Sri Lanka struggled to post a decent target for New Zealand in the first one-day international last Sunday, little did they know that there was a bigger storm brewing miles away from home. In one of the most horrific natural disasters ever recorded where the amount of loss to personal life and property is staggering, what was both appalling and terrifying was the repercussions of the earthquake close to Sumatra, Indonesia.

 The resultant giant killer tidal waves called Tsunamis, whip-lashed nations of South Asia, sparing neither the East coast of India nor the Emerald Isles also known as Sri Lanka. Hence, it comes as a relief to all concerned that the present tour of New Zealand has been scrapped. If a disaster as overwhelming and incomprehensible as this is not reason enough to halt a cricket series, one does not know what is. Which is why it was appalling that the Sri Lankan Board took as long as it did to relieve the players of their cricketing duties in the face of extenuating circumstances. Could the punitive damages of pulling out of a tour under exceptional circumstances be the overriding reason behind forcing the players to pretend that the game mattered more than the personal and emotional destruction inflicted by forces beyond their control? If yes, then it only belies a poor understanding of consuming human emotions. It is inexplicable how a five-day postponement of the tour was going to aid the players, who obviously needed to be with their families, close friends and relatives in the midst of such unfathomable chaos.

But it appears as if sanity has prevailed, as the ICC has clarified that there would be no financial repercussions or otherwise, given that the New Zealand board has rather prudently and promptly concurred with the decision to defer the tour to a more appropriate time in the future. Finally, the interminable wait in the hotel rooms has been perspicaciously put an end to. Even the fact that the flight routes are a cause of delay, the discomforting uncertainty is no longer a cause for concern. 

Even as the world watches the carnage only beginning to unravel itself, it is a welcome and comforting gesture that players around the world have united in the midst of perhaps the busiest time in the cricketing season to pledge their support to the rehabilitation process. While the Australian cricketers donated their earnings from the Melbourne Test against Pakistan, England have pledged 15,000 pounds towards disaster relief with an additional 5,000 pounds being contributed by the Players' Association back home. Ten million Rupees from the BCCI coffers are going the way of rehabilitation in parts of southern India ravaged by the deluge.

Even Bangladesh have pledged the proceeds from their game against Zimbabwe next week. There is plenty of talk about raising funds through benefit matches and these heartfelt thoughts have not been restricted to any particular board. There is life and there is hope. The tremendous earthquake and the subsequent Tsunamis threatened to shatter faith. They certainly caused it to wobble and waver like they did the earth itself on its axis. But they could do only so much. All that remains to be done now is achieve an enduring consistency in prayers and hard work.