India approves Pak tour itinerary, security plan

[riya]

This puppet Govt won't say anything .Cricketers should not go there .Such a fragile security .

[Feed]

India set to snub their tour of Pakistan after hotel bomb blast Former chairman Tauqir Zia has warned the Pakistan Cricket Board to be prepared for India refusing to tour next year due to a deteriorating security situation.More... India set to snub their tour of Pakistan after hotel bomb blast By Sportsmail Reporter Last updated at 10:25 AM on 26th September 2008 Former chairman Tauqir Zia has warned the Pakistan Cricket Board to be prepared for India refusing to tour next year due to a deteriorating security situation. India are scheduled to play three Tests and five one-dayers in a series starting with a tour match in Hyderabad on January 6. The Board of Control for Cricket in India had ratified the itinerary which included a Test and one-dayer in the city of Rawalpindi, a venue dropped for the Champions Trophy due to security reasons. Blasted: A man stands in front of the Islamabad Marriott hotel after a bomb killed 55 people this week PCB chief operating officer Shafqat Naghmi, while announcing the schedule, admitted that the BCCI approval was made before the Marriott Hotel bomb blast in the nearby city of Islamabad which left 55 dead and over 200 wounded. Teams playing in Rawalpindi usually stay at the Marriott hotel. On Wednesday, secretary Niranjan Shah stated the BCCI would seek government approval before embarking on the tour. 'I don't think India will come because the conditions are not ideal for international cricket,' SAID Zia. 'Pakistan should be prepared for this.' On Wednesday, the PCB signed a lucrative three-year deal with Dubai Sports City which would see Pakistan play some home matches at the neutral venue. It has been suggested that the one-day matches against India could be moved there.

[DomainK]

I wont buy it unless there is an official announcement from BCCI or a more known source reports it. But I think its very likely.

[Cricketics]

It won't be cancelled that easily. First BCCI officials were forcing Australians to go to Pakistan, though they shouldn't have since that's not bcci's business as it's the matter between Pakistan and Australia, now i here this news bcci opting out. not that easily i am sure

[Ram]

My whole perspective of things have changed after the Marriott Blast. Till now, I have always held this impression that despite Pakistan being unsafe country as a whole, the security arrangements for the visiting cricketers would be fool-proof and make it almost impossible for the terrorists to harm them, but after the Marriott incident, that theory is in big doubt. For all we know, our team could have potentially stayed in that hotel when they go there. And not just that, at the time of the blast, there were important foreign dignitaries staying in the hotel, including the Czech Ambassador to the US, who was killed. And in a recent development, BA has cancelled all its regular flights to Pakistan, which clearly means they no longer consider it safe to even operate in that country. If things continue to be what they're, I dont think we should go. There has to be a significant improvement in the security situation for us to go. And besides, this whole cricket thing is just taking away the attention from important issues. For God's sake people are dying out there and most of the time, we talk about whether a cricket team should go or not. Its better for Pakistan to first get its house in order, before talking about holding cricket matches. At a time when the security situation of their country is already in dire straits, just imagine the kind of additional burden they've to bear, if they're asked to provide VIP security to visiting players. Pakistan knows all this, but its simply their ego that isnt letting have a reality check. They think the refusal of visiting teams to tour them is a black mark on the image of their country as a safe destination to travel, but what they dont realize is that a terrorist attack on visiting cricketers could lead to far more disastrous consequences and lot more bad press.

[Sachinism]

The Marriot blast was in a "secure area" during a time of high alert so it can't be that safe

[Kohum]

Highly unlikely with manu singh uncle incharge. He won't even let such thoughts come in his mind.....what if derails the indo pak frienship rail....

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