Champions Trophy postponement : A devastating decision for Pak, PCB hope to fill gap

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Pakistan needed to host the Champions Trophy, but the decision to effectively cancel the event completely alienates them - as a cricket team and as a nation. More... Opinion | Osman Samiuddin >> A devastating decision The decision to effectively cancel the Champions Trophy completely alienates Pakistan - as a cricket team and as a nation August 25, 2008 Brian Murgatroyd, a part of ICC's six-member delegation in Pakistan, being frisked in Lahore. Pakistan did all they could to ensure players' safety © AFP Unless you live in Pakistan, or have been here through the madness of the last year or so, it will be impossible to understand the despondency the decision to postpone the Champions Trophy is likely to cause. For one, it is actually a cancellation. Next year has enough action to fill a John Woo trilogy. Fitting a tournament into it is harder than getting Oprah Winfrey into one of Kate Moss' dresses. And the only thing more useless than the Champions Trophy in some eyes is two Champions Trophies in two years: one is scheduled to be held in 2010. But this decision also essentially sets in stone a future policy for all non-Asian nations now: there is no need to tour Pakistan. The war on terror Pakistan is leading will not end overnight, because such nebulous wars don't. At best, within this country, it will have to be managed so that interference with life's everyday grind is minimal. Expect stories that Pakistan's place as co-hosts of the 2011 World Cup is under threat to be churned out from next year. For countries like Australia it makes no difference, for they seem to have put their policy in place some ten years ago. They haven't toured even once in that time and have never shown a particular willingness to do so. Leaders they may be on the field, but on this matter they have been consistently disgraceful. South Africa have toured here, but pulled out of the Champions Trophy first, which at best is inconsistent and at worst hypocritical. They came last October when the situation was as, if not more, unstable than it is now. They even stayed after the first attempt on Benazir Bhutto's life, and weeks before they arrived, the siege of Lal Masjid had just ended. Days after they left, a state of emergency was announced, indicating just how turbulent things were. Incidentally it was players from these countries who didn't mind the bombs in Jaipur during the IPL. The context may be different, sure, but how much does that really matter? A bomb after all is a bomb, in India or Pakistan, whether suicide or planted, one of a series or solitary, and equally likely to cause damage. Perhaps next time Pakistan should dangle a bagful of dollars in front of players rather than inviting tedious security assessments. Barring that what more could Pakistan have done? Nothing. The security arrangements, by many accounts, were outstanding. FICA's chief is supposed to have told the PCB that they were the best arrangements he had seen. The Asia Cup was held recently without so much as a beep on the many metal detectors and scanners placed at stadiums. No, the question is not what Pakistan could have done, for they did everything. The question really is what the unwilling countries could have done. Open their minds is the only answer, because from the account of at least one individual involved in the task-force meetings, players had already closed their minds and were willing to hear only what they wanted. Does it need repeating that cricket has never been targeted here? Or even that security anywhere in the world can never be guaranteed? Eventually the concerns weren't so much over the security arrangements but over whether they could be sustained. How on earth is any organisation supposed to prove that sustainability without the tournament actually going ahead? Pakistan needed to show itself - and see itself - in headlines that didn't have the words 'terrorist' and 'Al-Qaeda' in them. They went out of their way to try and ensure it, yet were still rebuffed. At a time when Pakistan needed most to feel involved and wanted in the world of cricket and the world itself, Pakistan finds itself shut out Things must be put into perspective, people will say, and that it isn't worth putting lives at risk. It should be countered not only that risk is everywhere, but that things must now be seen from Pakistan's perspective. Pakistan has had a miserable year and a half. It feels as if another downward spiral has been embarked upon. Battles are raging in remote parts of the country, there is political uncertainty, the economy is in the pits, and much, much else that requires another forum. But increasingly the feeling is that instead of being further engaged in the debate that is shaping the world, the country is being marginalised. That feeling is now seeping into the cricket. Already this will be the first calendar year in many that Pakistan doesn't play a single Test. Once, in the 1970s and 1980s, they were a leading voice in the game's administration. At times they are now but a hollow echo of the BCCI. There is also a mediocre and now untested team on the field. So Pakistan needed to host the Champions Trophy, the second-most important ODI tournament in the game, to put some feelgood back in the air, an opportunity to show that it still matters. Pakistan needed to show itself - and see itself - in headlines that didn't have the words "terrorist" and "Al-Qaeda" in them. They went out of their way to try and ensure it, yet were still rebuffed. At a time when Pakistan needed most to feel involved and wanted in the world of cricket and the world itself, Pakistan finds itself shut out. Pakistanis are fond of asking what actually unites and defines them. Some say there are many things, some say there are barely any, but cricket is a given, in both cases, a bond of some kind. It has always pulled people here together, however briefly, in joy, in grief, in celebration, in outrage. It has been played with verve for much of the country's history, and talked, argued, shouted and screamed about with greater passion. It is one constant in a land of very few. For that to be taken away, at this time, when it was probably most needed, the disappointment, the anger, the frustration and the ensuing depression of that will not be understood by people outside Pakistan. It is time that it was. Osman Samiuddin is Pakistan editor of Cricinfo © Cricinfo

[f.b.m]

Got to say, brilliant article. I dont think that its fair to starve a major cricketing nation of any sort of action for so long. What South Africa did was quite baffling and very damaging to the game.

[THX_1138]

Got to say' date=' brilliant article. I dont think that its fair to starve a major cricketing nation of any sort of action for so long. What South Africa did was quite baffling and very damaging to the game.[/quote'] welcome back...

[Zap_Brannigan]

"The war on terror Pakistan is leading" Err.....Pakistan is a major source of the terror. Everyday there are 100s of Pakistanis that are fighting the Indians in Kashmir, the Americans/British/Australians in Afghanistan. Other than that, 7/7 terrorists were trained in Pak and the various Indian bombings cd be connected to Pak as well. Thats 3 of the major cricketing nation. "South Africa have toured here, but pulled out of the Champions Trophy first, which at best is inconsistent and at worst hypocritical. They came last October when the situation was as, if not more, unstable than it is now. They even stayed after the first attempt on Benazir Bhutto's life, and weeks before they arrived, the siege of Lal Masjid had just ended. Days after they left, a state of emergency was announced, indicating just how turbulent things were." Wow. Such a great advertisement for the country. "SA you have escaped unscathed. Give us one more chance. " "Incidentally it was players from these countries who didn't mind the bombs in Jaipur during the IPL. The context may be different, sure, but how much does that really matter? A bomb after all is a bomb, in India or Pakistan, whether suicide or planted, one of a series or solitary, and equally likely to cause damage. Perhaps next time Pakistan should dangle a bagful of dollars in front of players rather than inviting tedious security assessments." A bomb is a bomb. One is by fanatical muslims and the other is by err......fanatical muslims. But the difference is only 1 country among the 2 or 3 (if England is added due to 7/7) is a land created to let these fanatical muslims run free. "At a time when Pakistan needed most to feel involved and wanted in the world of cricket and the world itself, Pakistan finds itself shut out " Again, the fault lies with Pak itself. But here is ur answer, "1.Battles are raging in remote parts of the country, there is political uncertainty, the economy is in the pits, and much, much else that requires another forum. 2.They came last October when the situation was as, if not more, unstable than it is now. They even stayed after the first attempt on Benazir Bhutto's life, and weeks before they arrived, the siege of Lal Masjid had just ended. Days after they left, a state of emergency was announced, indicating just how turbulent things were. 3.Pakistan needed to show itself - and see itself - in headlines that didn't have the words 'terrorist' and 'Al-Qaeda' in them" You said it best yourself.

[Sachinism]

Inevitable, but what next? Let's not be fooled by the wording: postponement is merely a euphemism for cancellation. The Champions Trophy has not been postponed by a couple of weeks or a month, but by a year, to 2009. The year of the ICC World Twenty20; also of the Champions League - for which a window will be found - and a seven-match ODI series between Australia and India, scheduled for October. And even if three weeks were to be miraculously carved out somehow, what guarantee that the security conditions would have improved enough to persuade those who are averse to touring Pakistan now to change their mind? Postponement is an expedient word. It doesn't suit the Pakistan Cricket Board, which had done everything within its powers to address the security concerns, but it is a better outcome than the tournament shifting to Sri Lanka or elsewhere. And since the tournament has not been officially cancelled yet, the ICC doesn't need to, for the moment at least, start calculating the compensation it has to fork out to the television rights holders. Also, of course, the players who didn't want to make the trip to Pakistan will be mightily relieved. In other words, it is an inevitable compromise, of the sort that has become the hallmark of the ICC. To be fair, other avenues were virtually closed. Pakistan - and they had India's backing - wouldn't countenance a relocation, and four of the eight teams involved wouldn't travel. An option would have been to hold the tournament with those who were willing to come - but that would have amounted to another Asia Cup plus Zimbabwe. That was no option really. To begin with, the television rights holders wouldn't accept it as the Champions Trophy. How, then, to make sense of a situation that appears so utterly different from two different angles? On the face of it, it is mere confirmation that cricket is a fractured community, split along the lines of geography, race and culture. It would seem that nothing has moved since the 1996 World Cup, when Australia and West Indies decided to stay away from Sri Lanka, and India and Pakistan made a grand show of solidarity with their Asian neighbour by sending a combined team to play a friendship match. It was only last month that India and Sri Lanka played without as much as a hint of a second thought in the Asia Cup, which went off without a hitch in Karachi and Lahore, the two venues for the Champions Trophy. The PCB could have done no more than assure touring teams the highest level of security, the kind accorded to visiting heads of states. Nothing, they can now argue, would have sufficed, for minds had already been closed. Also, it can be pointed out that the Ashes went on in 2005 despite multiple bomb blasts in England, and that, more recently and more pertinently, an IPL match took place in Jaipur days after multiple explosions had claimed 80 lives. And yet judgment needs to be reached carefully. The world has changed immeasurably since 1996. It is not enough to say that cricket has never been a target for terrorists. In fact, for those seeking to create impact, a high-profile tournament can be a legitimate target. Living in the shadow of the bomb has become a way of life on the subcontinent, so much so that it would be impossible to carry on otherwise. But is it fair to expect the same level of detachment and equanimity from those accustomed to a different way of life? However exaggerated their fears may be, and however ill-informed the security advice may be, the allowance for a different perception must be made and respected. After all, cricketers are neither diplomats nor soldiers; is it reasonable to expect them to put the game, and the misfortune of another cricket board, above concerns over their personal well-being? Many of these players are heroes on the field but few aspire to heroism in life outside it, and they shouldn't be judged for it. Where does this leave world cricket now? It is difficult to see any of the teams unwilling to travel to Pakistan next month changing their minds in the near future. The war against terror is unlikely to be won soon. The security situation in India has got no better, with recent serial bombings in Bangalore and Ahmedabad - both these cities are scheduled to host Tests, against Australia and England, soon. And the subcontinent is due to host the World Cup in 2011. By postponing the Champions Trophy the cricket boards have merely avoided an immediate crisis. But the problem will not go away. Perhaps no one should mourn the death of the Champions Trophy, for it is an increasingly irrelevant tournament that will inevitably give way to Twenty20 championships of various kinds. The question of Pakistan's place in the international cricket calendar cannot, however, be swept aside by merely delaying a decision. Sambit Bal is the editor of Cricinfo http://content-www.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/current/story/366147.html ------------------ I think the same, its not postponed at all, it's canceled, I don't see how they're going to fit it in in 2009

[Sachinism]

A devastating decision Unless you live in Pakistan, or have been here through the madness of the last year or so, it will be impossible to understand the despondency the decision to postpone the Champions Trophy is likely to cause. For one, it is actually a cancellation. Next year has enough action to fill a John Woo trilogy. Fitting a tournament into it is harder than getting Oprah Winfrey into one of Kate Moss' dresses. And the only thing more useless than the Champions Trophy in some eyes is two Champions Trophies in two years: one is scheduled to be held in 2010. But this decision also essentially sets in stone a future policy for all non-Asian nations now: there is no need to tour Pakistan. The war on terror Pakistan is leading will not end overnight, because such nebulous wars don't. At best, within this country, it will have to be managed so that interference with life's everyday grind is minimal. Expect stories that Pakistan's place as co-hosts of the 2011 World Cup is under threat to be churned out from next year. For countries like Australia it makes no difference, for they seem to have put their policy in place some ten years ago. They haven't toured even once in that time and have never shown a particular willingness to do so. Leaders they may be on the field, but on this matter they have been consistently disgraceful. South Africa have toured here, but pulled out of the Champions Trophy first, which at best is inconsistent and at worst hypocritical. They came last October when the situation was as, if not more, unstable than it is now. They even stayed after the first attempt on Benazir Bhutto's life, and weeks before they arrived, the siege of Lal Masjid had just ended. Days after they left, a state of emergency was announced, indicating just how turbulent things were. Incidentally it was players from these countries who didn't mind the bombs in Jaipur during the IPL. The context may be different, sure, but how much does that really matter? A bomb after all is a bomb, in India or Pakistan, whether suicide or planted, one of a series or solitary, and equally likely to cause damage. Perhaps next time Pakistan should dangle a bagful of dollars in front of players rather than inviting tedious security assessments. Barring that what more could Pakistan have done? Nothing. The security arrangements, by many accounts, were outstanding. FICA's chief is supposed to have told the PCB that they were the best arrangements he had seen. The Asia Cup was held recently without so much as a beep on the many metal detectors and scanners placed at stadiums. No, the question is not what Pakistan could have done, for they did everything. The question really is what the unwilling countries could have done. Open their minds is the only answer, because from the account of at least one individual involved in the task-force meetings, players had already closed their minds and were willing to hear only what they wanted. Does it need repeating that cricket has never been targeted here? Or even that security anywhere in the world can never be guaranteed? Eventually the concerns weren't so much over the security arrangements but over whether they could be sustained. How on earth is any organisation supposed to prove that sustainability without the tournament actually going ahead? Things must be put into perspective, people will say, and that it isn't worth putting lives at risk. It should be countered not only that risk is everywhere, but that things must now be seen from Pakistan's perspective. Pakistan has had a miserable year and a half. It feels as if another downward spiral has been embarked upon. Battles are raging in remote parts of the country, there is political uncertainty, the economy is in the pits, and much, much else that requires another forum. But increasingly the feeling is that instead of being further engaged in the debate that is shaping the world, the country is being marginalised. That feeling is now seeping into the cricket. Already this will be the first calendar year in many that Pakistan doesn't play a single Test. Once, in the 1970s and 1980s, they were a leading voice in the game's administration. At times they are now but a hollow echo of the BCCI. There is also a mediocre and now untested team on the field. So Pakistan needed to host the Champions Trophy, the second-most important ODI tournament in the game, to put some feelgood back in the air, an opportunity to show that it still matters. Pakistan needed to show itself - and see itself - in headlines that didn't have the words "terrorist" and "Al-Qaeda" in them. They went out of their way to try and ensure it, yet were still rebuffed. At a time when Pakistan needed most to feel involved and wanted in the world of cricket and the world itself, Pakistan finds itself shut out. Pakistanis are fond of asking what actually unites and defines them. Some say there are many things, some say there are barely any, but cricket is a given, in both cases, a bond of some kind. It has always pulled people here together, however briefly, in joy, in grief, in celebration, in outrage. It has been played with verve for much of the country's history, and talked, argued, shouted and screamed about with greater passion. It is one constant in a land of very few. For that to be taken away, at this time, when it was probably most needed, the disappointment, the anger, the frustration and the ensuing depression of that will not be understood by people outside Pakistan. It is time that it was. Osman Samiuddin is Pakistan editor of Cricinfo http://content-www.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/current/story/366169.html

[Dravid]

"The war on terror Pakistan is leading" Err.....Pakistan is a major source of the terror. Everyday there are 100s of Pakistanis that are fighting the Indians in Kashmir, the Americans/British/Australians in Afghanistan. Other than that, 7/7 terrorists were trained in Pak and the various Indian bombings cd be connected to Pak as well. Thats 3 of the major cricketing nation. "South Africa have toured here, but pulled out of the Champions Trophy first, which at best is inconsistent and at worst hypocritical. They came last October when the situation was as, if not more, unstable than it is now. They even stayed after the first attempt on Benazir Bhutto's life, and weeks before they arrived, the siege of Lal Masjid had just ended. Days after they left, a state of emergency was announced, indicating just how turbulent things were." Wow. Such a great advertisement for the country. "SA you have escaped unscathed. Give us one more chance. " "Incidentally it was players from these countries who didn't mind the bombs in Jaipur during the IPL. The context may be different, sure, but how much does that really matter? A bomb after all is a bomb, in India or Pakistan, whether suicide or planted, one of a series or solitary, and equally likely to cause damage. Perhaps next time Pakistan should dangle a bagful of dollars in front of players rather than inviting tedious security assessments." A bomb is a bomb. One is by fanatical muslims and the other is by err......fanatical muslims. But the difference is only 1 country among the 2 or 3 (if England is added due to 7/7) is a land created to let these fanatical muslims run free. "At a time when Pakistan needed most to feel involved and wanted in the world of cricket and the world itself, Pakistan finds itself shut out " Again, the fault lies with Pak itself. But here is ur answer, "1.Battles are raging in remote parts of the country, there is political uncertainty, the economy is in the pits, and much, much else that requires another forum. 2.They came last October when the situation was as, if not more, unstable than it is now. They even stayed after the first attempt on Benazir Bhutto's life, and weeks before they arrived, the siege of Lal Masjid had just ended. Days after they left, a state of emergency was announced, indicating just how turbulent things were. 3.Pakistan needed to show itself - and see itself - in headlines that didn't have the words 'terrorist' and 'Al-Qaeda' in them" You said it best yourself.

nice post :hatsoff:

[Kartikey]

PCB hope to fill gap http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/iccct2008/content/current/story/366171.html Pakistan are confident that they will be able to confirm a tri-series in either South Africa or Australia in order to fill the gap created by the postponement of the Champions Trophy which was scheduled to be held in September. Shafqat Naghmi, Pakistan board's chief operating officer, told the News that they would contact Australia and South Africa to fix matches for September. "We are hoping to play a tri-series in South Africa with India. The Indian board president during the teleconference gave us 50% assurance that this might be possible," :omg: Naghmi told PTI. "We have also spoken to Australia so if the South African plan does not materialise we can involve them. We first have to see how the Indian board responds because their participation will help boost broadcasters and sponsors interest in such a series." Pakistan could also invite either India or Sri Lanka for a home series but they've already played against them this year. Pakistan are also hosting India for a full Test and one-day series early next year. "We don't want to take any gloss away from what is our most important home assignment [against India] by playing against them so close to the series," Naghmi said. "Sri Lanka is also an option." "The postponement of the Champions Trophy means that all the teams are free next month and I think they can help us out. Obviously the postponement has been a setback for us in many ways and we need to play cricket." Australia are set to tour Pakistan next April for a five-match one-day series and a Twenty20 and Naghmi was optimistic they would honour their commitment. However, he admitted his disappointment at the non-Asian teams for pulling out of the Champions Trophy. "We are definitely disappointed by Australia because they have not toured us for 10 years," Naghmi told AFP. "Australia have a commitment of playing five one-day internationals in April next year so we hope by then their fears are removed and they play in our country." The ICC postponed the Champions Trophy, which was due to begin in Pakistan in 19 days' time, to October 2009, after five of the eight participating nations confirmed during a teleconference on Sunday that they would not send their teams for the event due to security concerns. Oh boy, another series against Pak, its just so meaningless.

[Desi Cartman]

Its stupid to play another meaningless ODI series al though I would love to see Pak getting killed by our Swing bowlers ... they have no chance on SAF pitches with RP, PK, ZK , MP , SS & IS

[DomainK]

"We are hoping to play a tri-series in South Africa with India. The Indian board president during the teleconference gave us 50% assurance that this might be possible,"

Why the hell PCB guys open their mouth like this? Last time after the Australia tour got canceled, they said that BCCI had given them some percentage of assurance (was in the 90s) and then BCCI refused. Then they said the same about Srilanka and then they refused. Then they said the same about SAF, then they refused and PCB looked like idiots. Dont they learn their lessons? BTW when is BD tour to Australia? Because if BD refuses, PCB will have to call up Zimbabwe.:D

[Kartikey]

Leave Zimbabwe out of it.It will be the Afghans touring Pak, and they will provide great entertainment.

[DomainK]

Leave Zimbabwe out of it.It will be the Afghans touring Pak' date=' and they will provide great entertainment.[/quote'] I wonder if Afgan will pull out for security reasons.:giggle:

[Kartikey]

Then they will play Pakistan A.

[Desi Cartman]

Then they will play Pakistan A.

:giggle: they dont have many As left A - Akthar is banned A - Asif is banned

[Kartikey]

In that case, Wasim Akram and Zaheer Abbas would probably come out of retirement.

[Sachinism]

India better not tour Pakistan, this is ridiculous why are we filling up the gaps and exhausting our players for meaningless tours

[siddhu]

Why the hell PCB guys open their mouth like this? Last time after the Australia tour got canceled, they said that BCCI had given them some percentage of assurance (was in the 90s) and then BCCI refused. Then they said the same about Srilanka and then they refused. Then they said the same about SAF, then they refused and PCB looked like idiots. Dont they learn their lessons? BTW when is BD tour to Australia? Because if BD refuses, PCB will have to call up Zimbabwe.:D

Shhhhh!!!! Whenever the enemy is making a mistake, we should let him make that mistake ---- Napoleon Bonaparte.:haha::haha::haha: All the more entertainment for us...:haha::haha::hysterical::hysterical:

[Cricketics]

I hope ACB and PCB agree to settle with pakistan tour of australia in coming months. this will give us a chance to enjoy and have some fun as pak will be playing in AUS.. in 1999, 3-0 - slaughtered in 2004-05 , 3-0 slaughtered again ownage is here

[MalikBrother]

I hope ACB and PCB agree to settle with pakistan tour of australia in coming months. this will give us a chance to enjoy and have some fun as pak will be playing in AUS.. in 1999, 3-0 - slaughtered in 2004-05 , 3-0 slaughtered again ownage is here

People know it was farcial umpiring during 99 especially second test that involves Gilchrist, who is true Gentleman cricketer, would have have found guilty if referred to review system. Sadly, there was none review system back then. 7 wrong decisions went against Pakistan in first test against Australia. Even though, Australia is a strong team, but opposition always face unfair umpiring. The rest of blunder umpiring continued in 2nd and 3rd. Too late to fix those now ! :nervous: If review system is instilled, then Abdur Rauf alone good enough to kick some OZ *****. OZ batmen struggle to face swing and reverse swing. Abdur Rauf guru is Waqar Younis. I heard Abdur Rauf was tipped of reverse swing :--D

[siddhu]

I hope ACB and PCB agree to settle with pakistan tour of australia in coming months. this will give us a chance to enjoy and have some fun as pak will be playing in AUS.. in 1999, 3-0 - slaughtered in 2004-05 , 3-0 slaughtered again ownage is here

Tics.. u forgot the mother of all series... Pakistan's "home" series played in SL and Sharjah... 2nd Test 59 and 53....:-D:-D:-D