Suneer S. Chowdhary
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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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Comment by Muralidaran Ramesh Somasunderam
I realise that members of the Australian cricket team are concerned about touring Pakistan due to security concerns in that county. But, problems are in most parts of the developing world, and cricket is no exception, with some places in Indian Subcontinent not being safe places to live. Nevertheless the question that must be asked objectivity is in what specific manner will the internal disturbances in Pakistan will affect international cricketers, who tour that country at the moment. Not on whether there was a bomb at a street corner, or near to a government office. The reason I state this is because in many countries, especially in the developing world there is a great deal ethnic, and religious differences, which are promoted by different sectors, even governments of countries for their own self – interests.
Security should be evaluated as a danger factor for international cricketers, unless the armed forces have lost total control of a country, or that bombs are being placed all over, and that the possibility of international cricketers safety being jeopardised or compromised, based on accidentally being at the wrong place at the wrong time is very much a distinct possibility. I believe if these factors are prevalent, the tour of Pakistan should be cancelled. Otherwise the tour should go head.
Yours Faithfully,
M. R. Somasunderam
Comment by Arnold
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Thank you for your insights.
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Comment by Muralidaran Ramesh Somasunderam
I thank you very much for your suggestion, which I appreciate very much.
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Kind regards and best wishes,
Murali.
Comment by Muralidaran Ramesh Somasunderam
The problem with twenty over cricket is that it will not produce players of the quality as Dr W. G. Grace, Sir Leonard Hutton, Sir Jack Hobbes, Sir Walter Hammond, and Sir Alec Bedser.
The problem with that is that twenty over cricket only produces players, such as M. S. Dhoni, who is a fine hard hitting batsman, and an effective wicket keeper, but not of the quality of players, such as the above gentlemen.
Therefore, it is very important to preserve Test Match cricket, and players of the above quality.
Twenty over, and fifty over cricket is, and will continue to self destroy the game of Test cricket, which is the embodiment of the game and its true essence.
Yours Faithfully,
M. R. Somasunderam.
Comment by Muralidaran Ramesh Somasunderam
Yours Faithfully,
M. R. Somasunderam.