Australia postpone Pakistan tour : Tour unlikely until at least 2009

[Mr. Wicket]

On the contrary, they have been comprehensively outmaneuvered by the Indian counterparts in the last 3 months. Whether it be the Mokey issue, or allegations of Aussie cricketers playing in an unsportsmanlike manner in Sydney, or the IPL related mess, BCCI has literally bullied CA into submission.

Oh no, CA is happy to play along with the BCCI, with such snakes in the board these days. I think they handled that entire mess superbly - if they listened to the players too much and opposed the BCCI, they'd be in trouble - on the flip side, if they went with the BCCI too easily (which was the smart move, given the obvious cash flows coming their way thanks to India), the players would have been upset and there could possibly have been some degree of player rebellion - either to the ICL or just the sort of chaos that occured back in 97. They've managed to handle things so that the BCCI/Indian team have been kept happy, and for the most part the Australian players aren't rioting against the board as they did 10/11 years ago.

[Mr. Wicket]

To expand on the last bit - CA/the ACB have generally not been having the best of relations w. the Aussie players for some time now. If you have a chance to read Steve Waugh's autobiography, I suggest you do so - there are a couple of chapters on the chaos a little more than 10 years ago when a number of players came very close to walking out on the board. And the board, on the other hand, has been manned by pricks and bottom of the barrel arseholes for the most part who will do what they can to keep the right people happy and have money flowing into their pockets. (Remember, this is the board that turned Malcolm Speed into their head from a lawyer, and then put him at the top of the ICC)

[Ram]

I understand that the players association ( headed by Tim May, if i am right) and CA have had a stormy relationship in the past. In fact, wasnt Australia the first country to start a players' federation ? CA should have reined in its players after Sydney. They must have gone into damage control right after Sydney, secretly forcing its players, especially the captain, to come out in the open and say goody-goody things about spirit of cricket and on-field behavior. But, the Aussies continued to remain defiant and uncompromising. The last straw was the "weed" comment by Hayden. Yes, he was publicly reprimanded, but it was way too late, IMO.

[Mr. Wicket]

Yes, because the players got pissed off at the board and people like Tim May decided to start a union for the players so the board couldn't bully them. And of course, CA should have done lots of things. What they did was perfect if you look from their stance - play both sides against the middle. Had they been stricter re. Hayden, Ponting and such, the players would likely have gotten upset (especially after the feeling in Aus that Harbhajan got let off thanks to the BCCI's power, rather than because of his own innocence) and possibly protested. They kept the BCCI moderately happy, they kept the players moderately happy and had the money coming in. BTW, this will sum up CA for you - somewhere in the Waugh autobiography, there's a recollection of when he becomes Australian captain/vice-captain (I forget which) for the ODI team. The news was given to him in the CA office by Malcolm Speed - who told him of his new position, then said to him "Remember, you're on our side now."

[Ram]

The news was given to him in the CA office by Malcolm Speed - who told him of his new position, then said to him "Remember, you're on our side now."

Wow, its fascinating to read such insider tales, isnt it ?

[Mr. Wicket]

As I have told you a few times - go buy and read that GD book! :D Among the top 4-5 cricket biographies/autobiographies I've read, and one of the most fascinating insights I've had into the modern game.

[Ram]

As I have told you a few times - go buy and read that GD book! :D Among the top 4-5 cricket biographies/autobiographies I've read, and one of the most fascinating insights I've had into the modern game.

K, PM me the list of must-read cricket books when you have time. I know you have done it before, but may I gently request you do it again ? :D And this, I am definitely getting one. P.S - And btw, I finally figured out the name of the book on Kapil Dev which came in the 80s and it was called the " God's Decree" or something along those lines.

[Mr. Wicket]

I'll post it here for others interested as well. Modern ones: Steve Waugh - Out of my Comfort Zone David Frith - Bodyline Autopsy Ramachandra Guha - The States of Indian cricket (a combination of his Wickets in the East and Spin and Other Turns - great histories and some of the most killer anecdotes imaginable on the greats) Simon Hughes - A lot of Hard Yakka (probably one of the greatest books I've read on the county cricket scene) John Wright - Indian Summers Michael Atherton - Opening up (if you're really interesting in the behind-the-scenes development of English cricket in the last decade+ get this and Nasser Hussain's Playing With Fire - also a tremendous book, while not in the same league) Dennis Lillee - Menace Ray Robinson + Gideon Haigh - On Top Down Under Older: Jack Fingleton - Cricket Crisis, Brightly Fades the Don, Four Chukkas to Australia, The Ashes Crown the Year, Masters of Cricket, Batting from Memory, anything else he's written that I didn't mention Richie Benaud - A tale of two tests Don Bradman - The Art of Cricket, Farewell to Cricket Sunil Gavaskar - Sunny Days John Arlott, Neville Cardus, Ray Robinson, Ian Peebles, EW Swanton, RC Robertson-Glasgow - most of what you can get your hands on (same with Fingleton), if you ever find any of those. Arthur Mailey - 10 for 66 and all that CLR James - Beyond a Boundary And while not in the 'must-read' list, the following are all fantastic fun reads: Dileep Premachandran - Pundits from Pakistan Frances Edmonds - Another Bloody Tour Most things written by Keith Miller (and RS Whitington) Harsha Bhogle - Azhar Simon Wilde - Letting Rip For most of the older stuff, your best bet is in old/second hand bookstores in places like the UK, Aus, NZ, etc, or in the 'used sellers' section of amazon.co.uk - half the stuff in the second list is long out of print, but is still worth getting. (And FWIW, those ones are far better value than 99% of the stuff out there today - the cost of Ponting's last crapfest diary in the bookstores would pay for at least 2-3 classics from that list and the shipping)

[Holysmoke]

I've read Indian Summers, and I loved it. :D

[Bumper]

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.

So you reckon Pakistani batting lineup will last more than 20 overs ?:hysterical: I dont see the diff between IPL & this test series.

[Bumper]

The Aussies must go ahead & tour. Eng, NZ, SA, Ind, SL, WI have all toured Pakistan in recent years. The country has always been volatile, since 9/11. I dont reckon anything has changed dramatically there.

[Bumper]

So finally, the tour has been called off. I suppose it was only expected. If PCB or the Pakistan govt seem disappointed at this, then they acting brilliantly, coz they must have known all along that the tour wouldnt have gone ahead in the first place. They did all they could, through the media and by organizing the Zim series to show that the Australian cricketers will be safe and to an extent they were right. The Aussie squad was assured security on par with visiting head of states, which would mean private chartered flights, 24 hour dedicated commando security, the entire floor of the hotel in which the players would have been statying would have been cordoned off, all routes blocked off when the Aussie team travels from the airport to the hotel, or from the hotel to the stadium and jammers fixed in all the convoy vehicles to prevent IED blasts. Every Australian player would have been given a dedicated elite guard, armed with an automatic rifle. Therefore, it is inconceivable to think the terrorists would have been able to penetrate this multiple layer of security and create some sort of damage. Stiil, none of these assurances were enough. But I have to admit, CA played its cards brilliantly. All along, they kept saying to the media that the tour was on, pending an independent security clearance, but privately, they must have been hoping the security situation in Pakistan deteriorates drastically enough, so that they have enough excuses to cancel the tour. While PCB tried to play the innocent victim and protective host, CA played the generous guest role to perfection. They cleverly postponed the tour, not in the hope that the security situation improves, but something terrible happens so that they can cancel the tour and still look good. And that is exactly what they got, in the form twin bomb blasts, this time in Lahore. Now, CA looks vindicated in its decision and PCB is left searching for ideas. Though, its very rare for the Muslim fundamentalists to attack visiting cricketers. There is generally some method in their madness and they tend to restrict their targets to security forces and govt installations. Even at the height of insurgency in J&K, there were hardly any instances of tourists being attacked by terrorists. Still, there was a threat, it was real and its difficult to see a cricket tour happening under such circumstances. In a way, it was poetic justice for Pakistan. At a time when their country is in turmoil and on the brink, they shouldnt have even planned a cricket tour to begin with. But now, this tour cancellation will be headline news in all channels. It is the worst PR signal that could possibly go out to the rest of the world. If an international cricket team, assured of fool-proof security, doesnt deem it safe enough to tour Pakistan, imagine what kind of message it would send to normal tourists and business people. This is not merely about cricket and the futures tour program, a lot was at stake here. There would have been intense behind the scenes diplomatic activity between both the foreign offices. Unfortunately for Pakistan, it wasnt enough. Now that the decision has been finally declared, Pakistan should first try to control the internal situation in its country. At a time when bombs are going off and people are dying, imagine the strain it would have placed on the govt, having to provide security to a visiting cricket team. In a way, this is good news for Pakistan. They have more important matters to handle, other than a trivial cricket series that happens once in a while.

Some good thoughts there Sriram. CA has indeed played this very well. Postponement solves plenty of problems for them: 1) It will make a strong case that their stand on the tour is based on the current situation in Pakistan (which needs time to change) 2) Postponement also softens the blow & avoids any potential lawsuit emerging from this episode. 3) It will also make the Aussies look less foolish for having to tour Pak later this year for the ICC CT. Had the tour been cancelled, they'd look like hypocrites cancelling the test series, but appearing for a must-play ICC event. 4) It also solves the IPL vs Pak tour conundrum.

[jackson]

this was coming,not surprised....

[Ram]

Some good thoughts there Sriram. CA has indeed played this very well. Postponement solves plenty of problems for them: 1) It will make a strong case that their stand on the tour is based on the current situation in Pakistan (which needs time to change) 2) Postponement also softens the blow & avoids any potential lawsuit emerging from this episode. 3) It will also make the Aussies look less foolish for having to tour Pak later this year for the ICC CT. Had the tour been cancelled, they'd look like hypocrites cancelling the test series, but appearing for a must-play ICC event. 4) It also solves the IPL vs Pak tour conundrum.

Yup, sometimes, buying time is the best tactic. That is exactly what CA did and it paid handsome dividends. As someone who is deeply interested in international politics, especially since post 9/11, I have to say this. This decision to postpone the tour indefinitely was definitely NOT a matter to be dealt between the two boards alone. There is definitely a lot more to it than what meets the eye. In the recent times, the stance of the West ( and by West, I refer to the U.S, its european allies, Japan and Australia) has been consistently hardening towards Pakistan. They have gradually lost patience towards Musharraf and his dilly-dallying tactics. There is increasing impatience towards Pakistan's inability to control the export of extremism from its soil. That being the case, no country is going to bend over backwards to do any favors for Pakistan. And an important part of international diplomacy is sporting ties. When India sent its team to Pakistan in 2004 after many years, it was a clear signal to Pakistan and the rest of the world that it was willing and keen to engage Pakistan from then on, ending years of boycott. I reckon that if this same political situation had prevailed in and around 2002, when the war on terror was at its peak and Pakistan was regarded an important ally, this tour would have definitely gone on. As Bumper had pointed out, bomb blasts and unstable politics is not something that is new to the Pakistani Politik. Only this time, the West is not willing to be so sympathetic towards Pakistan. And this actually brings us to the actual point I am trying to make. I am convinced that CA was actually quite helpless in this and the decision to postpone the tour indefinitely was taken the Australian foreign ministry and CA was merely doing lip-service for the govt. policy. Security clearance or no clearance, bomb blasts or no bomb blasts, this tour would have never taken place. Only, a protracted drama was enacted in front of the media just to show that all the parties were playing by the rules. I know this isnt exactly cricket but I thought it would be worthwhile for me to put forward this perspective.

[Desi Cartman]

More Drama Sutherland last night said a short one-day series was "not impossible" given the players now had six weeks off. This was reinforced by CA's general manager of cricket operations Michael Brown, who said a one-day series was "most definitely" a chance depending on how coach Tim Nielsen and his support staff wanted to organise the team for the West Indies. "But then it may not be depending on how we want to prepare ourselves," Brown added. I am sure CA will do something like organizing a camp or a short tour just to show BCCI that they have control over aussie players. right now they are saying its gonna be a short ODI tour or a conditioning camp and in either case the players wont be able to spend much time in India. Its not a good news for Symonds

[Feed]

Pakistan media roast Aussies PAKISTANI newspapers accused Australia's cricket team of handing a victory to "terrorists" after the world champions refused to tour the country due to security concerns. More... Pakistan media roast Aussies March 12, 2008 PAKISTANI newspapers accused Australia's cricket team of handing a victory to "terrorists" after the world champions refused to tour the country due to security concerns. "World champions or a bunch of cowards" said the headline on the sports page in The News, an English language daily, a day after Australia scrapped the tour in the wake of twin bomb blasts in the eastern city of Lahore. Cricket Australia and Pakistan Cricket Board mutually announced the decision, saying they hoped the series that was due to start on March 29 could be rescheduled in the near future. "It might sound like a cliche but by chickening out of what was a challenging assignment, the Aussies have handed the terrorists operating in this unfortunate country a major victory," the newspaper said. The tour had been in doubt since the assassination of former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto in December last year. A wave of bombings since the February 18 elections sealed the fate of the tour. The security and safety fears have been a talking point in Australia's dressing room with all-rounder Andrew Symonds and paceman Brett Lee showing reservations on touring a country where Australia have not played since 1998. "The Australians, it is believed, made up their mind against touring Pakistan after the assassination of Bhutto but players like Symonds had been cribbing about the visit much before the tragedy," said the News. "It is true that Pakistan is not the safest of places but these days bombs have a tendency to go off anywhere in the world. Australia haven't toured Pakistan in more than a decade. Almost all other teams have visited Pakistan." The article also blamed the multi-million dollar Indian Premier League (IPL) for playing a part in putting off the tour. Another English-language newspaper, The Nation, described the tour postponement as "a win for terrorism." "People believe that scrapping the tour won't do any good to the game and would rather be a win-win situation for the terrorists," said the newspaper.

[DomainK]

Thats all they can do now. I can not really blame Australia given the volatile situation in Pakistan. I wouldn't be surprised if some terrorist decides to target the visiting Cricketers for their purpose.

[Kartikey]

I don't particularly want our cricketers going their as well for the Asia Cup. But we cant trust the BCCI, they will risk the safety of our heroes because of their votes.

[beetle]

I wouldn't want our team to go there till things get better...Aussies to waisay bhi darpok hain...woh kya kha ke jaenge!

[Sachinism]

everyone should say we're not going to aus, its full of convicts and cheats