Australia postpone Pakistan tour : Tour unlikely until at least 2009

[Dhondy]

The series must go ahead. It'd be a shame if it's sacrificed on the alter of the meaningless IPL. Test cricket for IPL? I just hate these garbage 20-20 tamashas with a passion. Shift the series to UAE or SL if need be, but it needs to be played.

[Mr. Wicket]

BTW, Sriram, Zimbabwe would play in Pakistan - even if there was a civil war and reports of bombings each day. They have no choice. It's all political. The ZCU's clinging to the BCCI/PCB/UCBSA's bootlaces to stay in the ICC with the folks in England/Aus protesting against the country's situation and teams, and the last thing they'll do is try and bite the only hand that's feeding them. If they don't kowtow to the PCB's request to come and tour, they don't get support in the ICC meetings.

[Ram]

If Zim played in Pakistan' date=' its their choice. Australians have every right to cancel the tour specially if they receive an adverse report from their authorities.[/quote'] Honestly, When was the last time terrorists/political activists targeted international cricketers ? Even India has toured Pakistan twice in the last 5 years without problems. Could there be any bigger targets for the Jihadists than a touring Indian team ? Besides, even if there is some sort of terror threat, the security measure of these days are SO comprehensive, its almost impossible to penetrate them.

BTW, Sriram, Zimbabwe would play in Pakistan - even if there was a civil war and reports of bombings each day. They have no choice. It's all political. The ZCU's clinging to the BCCI/PCB/UCBSA's bootlaces to stay in the ICC with the folks in England/Aus protesting against the country's situation and teams, and the last thing they'll do is try and bite the only hand that's feeding them. If they don't kowtow to the PCB's request to come and tour, they don't get support in the ICC meetings.

Good point, its more of a symbolic statement than anything else. But still, CA should lets it players tour Pak. Besides, Kabloee made a VERY good point about how the Aussie players are speaking as though only the contracts issue is an impediment to playing in the IPL, as though they already know the tour is canceled.

[Mandrake]

Honestly, When was the last time terrorists/political activists targeted international cricketers ? Even India has toured Pakistan twice in the last 5 years without problems. Could there be any bigger targets for the Jihadists than a touring Indian team ? Besides, even if there is some sort of terror threat, the security measure of these days are SO comprehensive, its almost impossible to penetrate them.

Just because it hasn't happened in the past doesn't mean all is hunky dory. If your security agency advises against traveling to a high risk region you better take that warning seriously. Regarding your second point....dunno which world are u living....wasn't Benazir recently assassinated in Pakistan ??

[16 str8]

Honestly, When was the last time terrorists/political activists targeted international cricketers ? Even India has toured Pakistan twice in the last 5 years without problems. Could there be any bigger targets for the Jihadists than a touring Indian team ? Besides, even if there is some sort of terror threat, the security measure of these days are SO comprehensive, its almost impossible to penetrate them. Good point, its more of a symbolic statement than anything else. But still, CA should lets it players tour Pak. Besides, Kabloee made a VERY good point about how the Aussie players are speaking as though only the contracts issue is an impediment to playing in the IPL, as though they already know the tour is canceled.

Yep, just ask the former PM...

[Ram]

Just because it hasn't happened in the past doesn't mean all is hunky dory. If your security agency advises against traveling to a high risk region you better take that warning seriously. Regarding your second point....dunno which world are u living....wasn't Benazir recently assassinated in Pakistan ??

Come on dude.. The Australian team is going to go on a open-top public procession with 100s of 1000s of people attending it. If Pakistan wants to provide security, it can. Besides, there is no way ANY pak govt will allow an international touring team to be attacked by terrorists, thats the worst PR even that could ever happen to Pakistan.

[Predator_05]

Come on dude.. The Australian team is going to go on a open-top public procession with 100s of 1000s of people attending it. If Pakistan wants to provide security, it can. Besides, there is no way ANY pak govt will allow an international touring team to be attacked by terrorists, thats the worst PR even that could ever happen to Pakistan.

pfft..yeah, tell that to the Kiwis who watched a bomb go off close to their hotel in 2002.

[Ram]

Yep' date=' just ask the former PM.[/quote'] Refer to my previous post. There is massive difference between providing security to a VIP, attending a public ralley, with lakhs of people and providing security to a cricket team, whose only public exposure will be when they either fly between cities or travel between from hotel to ground.

[Ram]

pfft..yeah' date=' tell that to the Kiwis who watched a bomb go off close to their hotel in 2002.[/quote'] Security then would have been lackadaisical. Pakistan has assured security to Aus team, akin to the ones provided to head of states.

[Cricketics]

how about this how about pcb ask ACB to send over Aussie troops to pakistan to firm the security for aussie playerz i really want this seriez to happen. can't wait to see aussiez beat the hell out of sadak paar log.. why can't pcb bloody ask that favor from ACB send over their troopz

[Mandrake]

Come on dude.. The Australian team is going to go on a open-top public procession with 100s of 1000s of people attending it. If Pakistan wants to provide security, it can. Besides, there is no way ANY pak govt will allow an international touring team to be attacked by terrorists, thats the worst PR even that could ever happen to Pakistan.

MM...you seem to have too much faith in Mushy & Co...those clowns don't even have a clue about themselves...forget about security of others:hysterical:

[Cricketics]

I Am Very Disappointed:((

[Predator_05]

Mast idea hai yeh yaar Bhejdo Crocodile Dundee ko, saala sab bin Laden/Taliban ki ga'and maardega :haha:

[16 str8]

The Troops are too busy fixing up the mess in Timor. I want the series to go ahead as well, its been years since we played Pakistan, but its not worth the risk.

[kumble_rocks]

looks like MM is not aware of the fact that Symonds broached the topic on Nov 15 2007 much before the IPL contract issue came to fruition. http://content-www.cricinfo.com/australia/content/story/320330.html Symonds suggests Pakistan unease Cricinfo staff November 15, 2007 Andrew Symonds has taken note of the current state of emergency in Pakistan © Getty Images Andrew Symonds has given the first hint that the Australia players might not want to tour Pakistan next year due to political tensions in the country. Australia are scheduled to play three Tests and five ODIs in Pakistan next February and March, though the tour will not be confirmed until a Cricket Australia security delegation visits early next year. Pakistan is in a state of emergency and general elections are due in early January. "There do seem to be a lot of bombs going off over there. At the end of the day it is only a game of cricket," Symonds said half-jokingly. "But I suppose, being the diplomat that I am, we are going to have to wait and see when we get closer to the time how many bombs are going off over there. But it is being bombed." However, the Pakistan coach and former Australia fast bowler Geoff Lawson said the majority of the problems in Pakistan occurred in the North-West Frontier Province and he did not feel unsafe living in Lahore, in the province of Punjab. "The most fascinating part of it for me is that most people in this part of the world seem pretty much untroubled by what is going on," Lawson told the Sydney Morning Herald. "Cricket, in particular, is the great untouchable of the subcontinent. Certainly, that's the way of it in Pakistan. I'm very comfortable." Australia have not played Tests in Pakistan since 1998-99, with the most recent tour in 2002-03 moved to neutral venues in Sri Lanka and Sharjah due to security concerns. Australia A and the Australia Under-19 squad both visited Pakistan in September and October, but that was before the state of emergency was declared.

[Ram]

MM...you seem to have too much faith in Mushy & Co...those clowns don't even have a clue about themselves...forget about security of others:hysterical:

I dont know what else to say. You have obviously been biased by your already entrenched views towards Pakistan. I kinda have an idea of how these things work, the politics of providing security to visiting teams, what kind of security measures will be put in place, who would want to attack them etc. I speak on the basis of that. Pakistan isnt Iraq, where bombs go off once every two days, in every city. Yes, There are security threats, but its not as bad as we think they are. But, you could say, given the current situation, the turmoil, the political situation prevailing, it would save the Pakistan govt a lot of trouble if they didnt have this tour. Given all the trouble they have had off late, the last thing they need now is have valuable security resources diverted to providing security to visiting cricketers.

[Ram]

KR, I know that its been long since he made those comments, even before IPL was thought off. But its not Symonds' job to talk about this, its his board's and Aus govt's job to decide whether they are going or not.

[kablooee87]

There's one massive thing people are missing: The Australian cricket team isn't a target. Nobody in Pakistan has any interest in attacking the Australian cricket team. Even then, they have been assured security that can best be described as suffocating (just ask SA, they demanded it and they got it). Like I said earlier, it's not as if they security issue is just being pulled out as cover to just go and play IPL, the security issue is totally valid. The line of thinking I imagine from the Australians though is "It would be great to earn some extra cash with this IPL thing. Oh, a tour of Pakistan. Jeez, I hate touring that wretched place, cabin fever here I come. Plus, it sounds pretty unstable, might as well go play IPL."

[kablooee87]

Anyways, I think we'll all have a better idea of things after the elections and the situation should be sorted out one way or the other 7 days after that (when the security delegation visits).

[Guest dada_rocks]

I dont know what else to say. You have obviously been biased by your already entrenched views towards Pakistan. I kinda have an idea of how these things work, the politics of providing security to visiting teams, what kind of security measures will be put in place, who would want to attack them etc. I speak on the basis of that. Pakistan isnt Iraq, where bombs go off once every two days, in every city. Yes, There are security threats, but its not as bad as we think they are. But, you could say, given the current situation, the turmoil, the political situation prevailing, it would save the Pakistan govt a lot of trouble if they didnt have this tour. Given all the trouble they have had off late, the last thing they need now is have valuable security resources diverted to providing security to visiting cricketers.

I guess u have not been in know of things lately .. every day sucide bombing happens..