Suneer S. Chowdhary
Arnold
Tash Jayasinghe
Dexter
CibbuanoShould Australia boycott Champions Trophy?
July 30th 2008 23:45
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has voted in favour of staging the Champions Trophy in Pakistan but Cricket Australia (CA) appears set to refuse to send its players to the strife-torn nation.
Although CA will find allies in their New Zealand, England and South Africa counterparts - who have all expressed concerned about touring Pakistan given the wave of bombings there - some critics have said that Australia's refusal to send players to the tournament could cause a major rift in world cricket.
Despite two recent unfavourable independent security reports advising players not to visit Pakistan, an ICC-appointed taskforce will once again assess security with the verdict set to be released in about 10 days. CA will then make a final decision on whether to send a squad of players over.
Australian Cricketers' Association chief executive Paul Marsh has strongly advised CA and the players to boycott the tour on grounds of personal safety.
"There has been 66 suicide bombings in the past year in Pakistan and of those, 15 have been in cities that are scheduled to host games.
"For our players, we've gone through this with a fine tooth comb and we just don't think the risk to go to Pakistan is acceptable," he said.
"I am very hopeful Cricket Australia make that decision.
"It would be unfair to put that decision back on the players and it would be inconsistent to put that decision back on players given what has happened in the past," he added.
New Zealand's player association also slammed the decision and advised its members not to attend, while players from England, South Africa (despite their board voting in support of Pakistan) and the West Indies are also understood to have reservations.
No game is bigger than the personal safety of its players and it would be silly to put the safety of Aussie cricketers, or any other cricketers from NZ, England SA etc. for that matter, at risk.
What do you think? Should CA send our players to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy?
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