Australia find a new excuse to avoid touring Pakistan

[EnterTheVoid]

New trouble for tour as Pakistan goes to war over ICL's pariah status FIRST terrorism, now politics threaten Australia's series against Pakistan, with Indian Cricket League players taking on Ricky Ponting's side in April certain to be met with Indian fire. Pakistan's sports ministry cleared the way for the banned players to return to domestic cricket on Monday, but the government is also keen for the likes of Mohammad Yousuf to once again play for the national side despite being blacklisted by the International Cricket Council. Cricket Australia does not support the ICL and could boycott the one-day series should players from the outcast Twenty20 tournament be selected for Pakistan. All ICL players are banned from international cricket because the tournament is a direct competitor to the Indian board's lucrative Indian Premier League, which features many current Australian and foreign stars. Pakistan's sports minister, Pir Aftab Shah Jilani, has taken the Board of Control for Cricket in India head on with two major announcements: lifting the ICL ban and blocking all Pakistanis from playing in the IPL this year. Relations between the two nations have become especially strained since the Mumbai terrorist attacks in November. Jilani is clearly in no mood to have his country's cricketers bullied any longer, taking the bold steps when other nations have feared India's wrath. "We would like for them to come back to the Pakistan team, everybody should get the chance to play for Pakistan," Jilani told the Herald last night. "It is ultimately for the Pakistan Cricket Board to decide. "If our board thinks India is being adversarial or influencing the ICC, they should speak so that Pakistan can get a favourable outcome, whatever the politics that are going on." Pakistani board members contacted last night would not comment on the issue. However, that their government has endorsed the selections of ICL players against Australia will have given them comfort. The BCCI has aggressively sought the demise of the ICL and managed to convince all member nations of the game to boycott players who participate. CA has supported this move because it fears a rival tournament could be established when it organises its own version of the IPL, the Southern Premier League. All unofficial tournaments, including the ICL, were formally banned at the ICC board meeting in Perth at the weekend. Officials from the BCCI, ICC and ICL are trying to convene a meeting in coming weeks to reach a compromise, although talks have been dragging on since last year and little common ground has been established. There is talk the ICL will be turned into an over-35s event or given a franchise in the IPL. Regardless, Pakistan's move will have been taken as a slight by India, who recently cancelled a tour to the neighbouring country after the Mumbai blasts. Nineteen cricketers in the ICL will return to play in Pakistan's domestic first-class competition, after the Sindh High Court granted an interim order to lift the ban. Yousuf and 10 fellow players were behind the motion. Yousuf was regarded as one of the world's greatest batsmen, and broke Viv Richards's world record for the most Test runs in a calendar year in 2006. A series against Australia would be far more competitive with Yousuf in it. CA, however, is unlikely to deviate from its stance opposing ICL players. Meanwhile, the auction list for this year's IPL has been cut from 111 to 43. Officials say that franchises can choose replacements for their Pakistan players from the original 111 and that these would not count towards their salary cap of $US2 million ($3.1m). http://www.smh.com.au/news/sport/cricket/new-trouble-for-tour-as-pakistan-goes-to-war-over-icls-pariah-status/2009/02/03/1233423223016.html ************************************************************************************ My respect for the Australian cricket team sky rocketed after I heard the good news Enuff Said ************************************************************************************ Aussies may boycott ODI series if ICL players recalled Wednesday, February 04, 2009 By By Khalid Hussain KARACHI: Pakistan are unlikely to recall any of their Indian Cricket League (ICL) rebels in the near future as such a step would add to their headaches, it was learnt on Tuesday. Though the country’s sports authorities believe that Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) should think about welcoming back top players like Mohammad Yousuf in the national team to lift its below-par showing, it appears highly unlikely that the Board will consider taking such a move any time soon. Monday’s Sindh High Court (SHC) decision to suspend the ban imposed by PCB on the country’s ICL players has raised hopes that the verdict will pave the way for the international return of cricketers like Yousuf, Pakistan’s premier batsman. Yousuf was banned from all forms of cricket by the PCB last November after he defected to the cash-rich ICL — a twenty20 league that is not sanctioned by the International Cricket Council (ICC). Nineteen other Pakistani players were also banned by the PCB for their association with ICL. They were also barred from playing domestic cricket. However, the SHC has suspended the ban on domestic cricket. Federal sports minister Aftab Shah Jilani has said that he now hopes that the PCB will think about recalling some of the ICL players in the national team. “Our team’s performance has really gone down,” he said. “Last month we lost to Sri Lanka by a very big margin. Personally I believe that the team can be strengthened if our players who went to the ICL are reconsidered but thatís a decision that rests with the PCB,” he told ‘The News’ in an interview. The decision to bring back players like Yousuf, however tempting it might appear, will be a tough one for PCB. Take of instance the possibility of Yousuf making a comeback in Pakistan’s next international assignment — the one-day series against Australia in April. There is a big possibility that the series will not take place at all if Yousuf or any other ICL player is included in the Pakistan squad. Reports emerging from Australia have suggested that Ricky Ponting’s men will decide against playing with Pakistan if any ICL cricketer is a part of the home team. Cricket Australia — the cricket’s governing body in Australia — does not support the ICL and could boycott the one-day series should players from the blacklisted ICL be chosen for Pakistan duty. At last week’s ICC meeting in Perth, the Indian cricket board (BCCI) sought the demise of the ICL and managed to convince all member nations of the game to boycott players who participate in the twenty20 league. India’s stance has received solid backing from CA which fears that a rival tournament could be established when it organises its own version of the IPL, the Southern Premier League. All unofficial tournaments, including the ICL, were formally banned at the ICC board meeting in Perth though it was decided that BCCI officials will meeting their ICL counterparts later this month in a bid to resolve the issue. **************************************************************************** I personally blame Sachin / Santa / The Danish government / Mossad for the current mess

[DomainK]

This ICL crap is getting a little too much TBH.

[graphic23]

I don't think its crap. It is an unfortunate thing to have happened to Indian cricket. There are many who are part of ICL who might've had great futures (in India or other countries, Shane Bond is being terribly missed by NZ).

[EnterTheVoid]

any excuse 'll do, I guess Good on the aussies.

[Guest dada_rocks]

any excuse 'll do, I guess Good on the aussies.

:two_thumbs_up:

[DomainK]

I don't think its crap. It is an unfortunate thing to have happened to Indian cricket. There are many who are part of ICL who might've had great futures (in India or other countries' date=' Shane Bond is being terribly missed by NZ).[/quote'] No, I didnt mean ICL is crap, I meant this isolation business. ICC needs to show some spine.

[EnterTheVoid]

Its also getting tiresome reading all these yo - yo reports about banning / unbanning. The only country that's clambering about these ICL rejects, ..... although I would like argue that getting rid of MOYO and the remainder of them players was prudent to our entertainment, ..... , are our ungrateful neighbors Other smaller countries, that don't have such a large talent pool or invest as much money in cricket, are making amends without too much of a fuss. Sure, N.Z. lost Bond, but weren't you impressed by how they bowled against Australia in the test / odi's ? Batting is another story

[Nash]

I dont care

[flamy]

I think it is absolutely disgusting. ICC is being bullied by BCCI. How can one team oppose what players the other team has?

[Ram]

I think it is absolutely disgusting. ICC is being bullied by BCCI. How can one team oppose what players the other team has?

I don’t think you quite get it. The whole world is toeing BCCI’s line in boycotting ICL for VERY valid reasons. Its in the interest of the current cricketing structure (ICC, BCCI, CA, ECB and all other boards) to see ICL fail.

[hassan_113]

Hmmm, from my point of view, I think Pakistan only miss Mohammad Yousuf. The rest are either retired (Inzamam), has-beens (Razzaq) or 'never was' players (Farhat, Nazir). The only guy I reckon is decent is Rana Naved....he was particularly brilliant in 2005 but rushed back too soon after injury and paid the price in 2006/7 with some rubbish performances.

[flamy]

I don’t think you quite get it. The whole world is toeing BCCI’s line in boycotting ICL for VERY valid reasons. Its in the interest of the current cricketing structure (ICC, BCCI, CA, ECB and all other boards) to see ICL fail.

OK. Point taken.

[Chandan]

No' date=' I didnt mean ICL is crap, I meant this isolation business. ICC needs to show some spine.[/quote'] Ok let me ask you. What do you want ICC to do with a spine to ICL?

[Fontaine]

This is what happens when the BCCI/PCB mix politics with cricket. Nothing good can come of this.

[Chandan]

This is what happens when the BCCI/PCB mix politics with cricket. Nothing good can come of this.

What kind of politics are you talking about here? Which board keeps politics completely aside? Can you name even one and say why you believe so?

[Fontaine]

Which board keeps politics completely aside? Can you name even one and say why you believe so?

No, and no. But the BCCI created this ICL vs IPL fiasco and not some other board.

[Chandan]

BCCI has not created ICL. Any any other cricket board would have treated a rival board/league like BCCI has done. Have you forgotten Packer? How did CA deal with it? And how did other boards in the world deal with it to support Australian cricket board?

[Guest dada_rocks]

BCCI has not created ICL. Any any other cricket board would have treated a rival board/league like BCCI has done. Have you forgotten Packer? How did CA deal with it? And how did other boards in the world deal with it to support Australian cricket board?

Precisely.. people have short memories

[Chandan]

Precisely.. people have short memories

But I've read that BCCI and ICL might call peace pretty soon and ICL might become a part of BCCI. If that happens, many worthy players will come back to Indian domestic cricket and many worthy player might return to international cricket from various countries. I suppose that will be the best case scenario for everyone. And it'd have done something good for Indian cricket where BCCI finally realised how important it was to keep the domestic cricketers well payed and how important it was to give security to the worthy fringe players. ICL has certainly forced BCCI to become more professional.

[DomainK]

BCCI has not created ICL. Any any other cricket board would have treated a rival board/league like BCCI has done. Have you forgotten Packer? How did CA deal with it? And how did other boards in the world deal with it to support Australian cricket board?

Yeah, you are right. But the bans have been a little too dirty for my liking. I understand its a pure money making business where BCCI is using the traditional competition pressure since they have a huge share in the market. But somehow I dont like this culture a lot when it comes to a game.