England refuses to play test match in Karachi

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Re: England refuses to play test match in Karachi

I think we are being a little bit harsh with Pakistan's situation. The bomb blast and "the situation" is going on for a quite while in the entire Pakistan. There has been bomb blasts in Pakistan and other countries before 9/11.

England will get its share of all of cricket and other sporting events why? not because of their security (if it was that why there was an attack at the first place) but because the perception they have created that it is a safe place to play. It is brave and heroic to play in England rather than in Karachi.

We need to show confidence in our country.

5-0
5-0
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Re: England refuses to play test match in Karachi

How many times KFC have been “bombed” in Karachi.
Karachi has a history of this violence which has been happening since lates 80’s and early 90’s. If you have lived in karahci than definitely you would be knowing about it. These teams had no problem visiting Pakistan at that time. Do you know why? Because the foreign biased media never covered these stories before and now just to tarnish this image of Pakistan they exaggerate everything. Ok there is voilence in Karahci but when you are getting security which is given to the top leaders of different governments then no one should have any problem.
ICC is the governing body of cricket. If Pakistan is such a dangerous place they should ban pakistan as a dagnerous place. Who the hell the ECB think they are comingup with all these stupid demands.

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Re: England refuses to play test match in Karachi

Today I am watching local news as we all "BBC in US" news - all channels are playing "bombings by Brits of Pakistani descent" story 100 times an hour. Now, desis (Pakistanis and many Indians) know to distinguish between types of people involved vs others. But if you put yourself in a non-desi pair of shoes, I think they just hear the "Pakistani" part.

One news cast specifically focussed on "these youngsters go to madarassa in Pakistan, get trained, get support etc..." - this statement was made by a distinguished looking Pakistani (well a desi - don't know if Pakistani or not) on camera...now how do you think the non-desi viewers are going to think of Karachi or Pakistan after this?

Yesterday I saw a newscast where how isolated and alien Pakistani youngsters feel in the UK and how they never integrate etc etc....

It's sad and sadder but the image is taking such a great drink down the pipe that some special efforts are going to be required I think to get England to see Pak at par again...

And they've started attacking Gurdwaras too because of turbans!

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Re: England refuses to play test match in Karachi

Can anyone put up a list of all confirmed dates and venues,please. I am thinking about visiting pakistan from the end of October and would love to watch a home game against the gorray,preferably in Pindi. If possible can someone send me the list as a private message.

many thanks.

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Re: England refuses to play test match in Karachi

here is an update:

England will play only one ODI in Karachi,,, Tests will be played first, then ODI's.

first a warm-up match, then first test in Multan, Faisalabad, and Lahore will follow...

2 warm-up ODs before ODI's, starting from Karachi, 2 ODI in Lahore, and then last 2 in Rawalpindi, and depart Pakistan on the 22 December...

Multan test will start on Saturday, and maybe all of the tests will start on Saturdays, coz of Jumma prayers the 6 hours day of play not possible on fridays....

the dates will be annouced with-in 3-5 days...

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Re: England refuses to play test match in Karachi

England’s itinerary for this winter’s tour of Pakistan is likely to be announced this week following lengthy discussions between officials from the respective boards.

David Morgan and Shahryar Khan, chairmen of the ECB and PCB, met at Lord’s at the weekend, with the hosting of games in Karachi at the top of the agenda. England, who acted on the report of two security experts who visited the city last month, have declined to play a Test there, but Shahryar arrived hoping to persuade them to agree to two ODIs instead.

It seems unlikely that the ECB will do that, especially as rumours have been circulating that some players have grown uneasy about visiting Pakistan in the light of the terrorist attacks in London. A compromise of just one ODI in Karachi might be acceptable, but this could be quashed by player unrest.

“I had impromptu talks with Shahryar Khan at Lord’s and the boards were in agreement about the itinerary for the tour,” Morgan said at the weekend. “Now all we are awaiting is approval from the Pakistan government. I would hope that we will be able to confirm the schedule within the next few days.”

England’s concerns have been exacerbated by the revelation that several of the suicide bombers who attacked London had been trained in Pakistan. In the aftermath of the attacks, President Musharraf order a clampdown on suspected militants, with police making more than 300 arrests.

It seems that for the second successive winter ECB officials will be attempting to convince players to trust their security assessments. In 2004 it was Zimbabwe, and now it is Pakistan. At the back of the ECB’s thoughts will be the threat of a tit-for-tat cancellation of next summer’s tour by Pakistan if England decide not to honour their commitment.
SOURCE: http://content.cricinfo.com/england/content/story/214380.html

Alot of people are looking forward to this tour and I am only afraid that england will send a second string side as some of their key players would probably refuse to come to Pakistan.

juicy couture :wub:
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Re: England refuses to play test match in Karachi

PCB should have called off England team’s tour: Miandad
By Waheed Khan

KARACHI: Pakistan’s former captain Javed Miandad said on Friday that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) should have called off the England tour later this year instead of succumbing to pressure and scheduling just one international in Karachi.
“For how long are we going to tolerate this pressure and humiliation. If England can’t accept the word of our board and government that their players should not have any security concerns about playing in Karachi then why even go ahead with this tour,” he said.

Miandad even before the tour was finalised had called for the series to be scrapped if England didn’t play a Test in the sprawling port city. Incidentally, he had also advised the Pakistan board to play a Test in the Indian city of Ahmedabad when Pakistan went to India earlier this year arguing that when the Indian government was assuring the safety of the players the match should go ahead.

“I don’t understand the attitude of the England board. It is totally unfair. When it is now accepted worldwide that no city is safe from terrorist attacks including London why the fuss over playing in Karachi,” he questioned.

He said the point had been reached where the Pakistan Board had to take a stand and stop being dictated to by touring teams.

"You can’t keep on ignoring Karachi like this. It is a major cricket centre and there has not been a single incident of players being the target of any terrorist attacks. The crowd has also always been well behaved like last year when India played a one-dayer at the National Stadium.

“Cricket is a strong platform to promote a positive image of our country but when touring teams keep on refusing to play in Karachi because of security concerns then what image is being conveyed abroad of our country. Then how can the government expect to attract foreign investment.”

Miandad said Pakistan was due to tour England next year and it should have been firm that if England didn’t play a Test in Karachi it would also not reciprocate with the tour.

“The Pakistan team is a crowd puller by any standards specially in England. We have not lost a Test series there since 1987 and people come to watch our players. Our board should have shown a little more strength and belief in itself and taken a firm stand.”

Miandad who played 124 Tests between 1976-96 had no doubt that England and other western cricket boards had double standards while dealing with Pakistan.

“Australia can continue to play in London even after the bomb blasts. But if the same thing had happened in Karachi they would have rushed back home. Is London any more safe than any other big city like Karachi.”

The former captain made it clear it was a matter of principle about foreign teams playing in Karachi and the PCB needed to take a firm stand on this.

SOURCE: http://jang.com.pk/thenews/index.html

I agree 100% with what miandad has said.

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European players refuse to play in Super League, says PHF official

The proposed Super Hockey League received a major setback before its launching with the refusal of European players to feature in the event on security concerns.

The Pakistan Hockey Federation’s (PHF) much awaited Super League will be played from September 8 to 18 in Karachi and now the only attraction left in the event are the two foreign countries —India and Malaysia, said Director Marketing PHF, Naveed Haider Khan while talking to APP here on Thursday.

The PHF invited players from three European countries including Holland, Germany and Belgium besides India and Malaysia for the event, which will be played under lights.

"It’s unfortunate that European players have declined to feature in the competition on security concerns which we believe is not fair as a number of top hockey and other sports events were organised recently in Karachi," he said. "Now India and Malaysia each will send their top six players and one player from each country will be put in the six participating teams to make them equally balanced and attractive ", he said.

The PHF official added that the participating teams had been named after provinces and different parts of the country. The names of the teams are Shan-e-Punjab, Sindh Qalanders, Baloch Lion, Frontier Falcon, Northern Cavalier and Capital Dynamos.

Northern Cavalier comprises players from Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas. Answering to a question, he said, it depends on the budget of the PHF to invite top or other level players from India and Malaysia in league as it involves heavy funds for ensuring the participation of top most players. "But we are fully committed to make this show a big success and we’ll be doing our best to get the best foreign players for the league ", he asserted.

Naveed said the launching ceremony of the league would be held in Lahore in the first week of next month where its logo and all the details will be unveiled.

He added that the national selection committee had been given the task to mix seniors and juniors along with foreign participants to form the teams

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Re: England refuses to play test match in Karachi

It took them series of 2 bombings to realize that London won’t be a safe place in case of a third bombing. What f..king double standards they have.

Bomb threats worry Aussies

A third London bombing would force Jason Gillespie to consider pulling out of the Ashes Tour after admitting “a lot of guys are nervous” about the terror threats. Gillespie last night told a Melbourne radio station “there would be serious questions” about the tour continuing if there was another blast.
“It is very difficult to say, but I would consider it [withdrawing] if another went off,” he told 3AW. “I can’t speak for anyone else. If something else did happen I would think about it personally, yes.”

Following a series of explosions in London on July 7 and 21, Cricket Australia said the security of its players was the top priority, and Paul Marsh, the Australian Cricketers’ Association chief executive, told the Courier-Mail he was confident with the advice. But Marsh said he “would have to consider things if another bomb goes off”.

While the Australians were in London for the first Test police searched a bus and evacuated the area outside their hotel, and the players were told not to catch underground trains. The Sydney Morning Herald reported that during a security briefing one player said **if similar incidents had occurred in a country such as Pakistan there would be a push to end the trip. There is little doubt that if the team had been in a third world country the explosions would have forced them home. **

“If another bomb went off in England there would be serious questions asked about the tour,” Gillespie said. “I know a lot of the guys are nervous. My wife is over here. A lot of guys have their wives and families here. It is not so much us, but them as well.”

Security has been stepped up at Edgbaston ahead of the second Ashes Test starting on Thursday. The Warwickshire CCC authorities said sniffer dogs would be deployed to check delivery vehicles, while all spectators would be searched when entering the ground.

SOURCE: http://content.cricinfo.com/engvaus/content/story/214899.html

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Re: England refuses to play test match in Karachi

That's what i was saying before, how come they feel safe in England where the bombs went off in the same city when they were physically present there and could have easily been affected and they don't feel safe in Pakistan because of what happened many months ago??????

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Re: England refuses to play test match in Karachi

Cricket Australia will send a three-member security delegation to Pakistan on Friday, before finalizing the itinerary of their ‘A’ team’s tour to Pakistan scheduled for next month. The delegation includes General Manager Cricket Operations, Michael Brown, Chief Executive Cricketers Association, Paul Marsh, and security officer Reg Dickason.

The delegation will visit KRL Stadium and Pindi Stadium in Rawalpindi on Saturday where it will also be briefed about the security arrangements by the Pakistani officials. The delegation will also meet Australian High Commissioner in Islamabad. On the next day, the delegation will return to Lahore to inspect the security arrangements at the Qadhafi Stadium.

Australian A team has also resfued to play in karachi and peshawar...

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Re: England refuses to play test match in Karachi

Former Pakistan cricket captain Wasim Akram on Tuesday criticised England’s decision not to play a Test match in Karachi later this year, saying his country was being unfairly targeted in security matters.

“Our cricket boards ought to be stronger. Once we have promised foolproof security, there is no point in bowing down to the pressure tactics of visiting teams,” Wasim told the Press Trust of India (PTI).

England refused to play a five-day Test match in Karachi during their forthcoming tour of Pakistan in October-December, preferring to opt for a One-day International there.

There will also be no match in Peshawar due to its proximity to the violence-prone border with Afghanistan. Wasim, a regular in English county cricket during his playing days, said Australia’s decision to remain in England for the Ashes series despite security fears in London would have been different if they were in Pakistan.

“Look at Australia, had they been playing in Pakistan now instead of England and there was a bomb blast, they would have disappeared within a couple of hours,” Wasim said. Some 56 people, including four suicide bombers, died in four separate bomb blasts in London on July 7. There was a bungled repeat on July 21 when the bombs failed to go off.

Wasim said cricket boards should have more faith in what governments tell them instead of relying on their own security experts.

“These security guys have good fun, the trip is like a holiday for them, they collect their money and that’s it,” he said.

“I think the security issue should be left to the governments, they are very much capable of handling these issues.”

In the aftermath of the Sept 11, 2001 attacks, teams from Australia and the West Indies have refused to play in Pakistan because of security fears.

Karachi had earlier been rejected as a Test venue by South Africa and India after a bomb blast outside the New Zealand’s team hotel in May 2002 killed 14 people including 11 French naval engineers.