India warns Cricket Australia not to opt out of Pakistan
INDIA last night again flexed its considerable cricketing muscle, bluntly warning Cricket Australia not to pull out of next month’s tour of strife-torn Pakistan.
Tomorrow’s federal election in Pakistan will be a watershed moment for the tour, as it will give CA and its worried players a clearer picture of what life is really like in the politically unstable country.
If, as expected, there is more trouble, it will give CA the perfect platform to announce the trip is off because of obvious safety and security reasons, avoiding an International Cricket Council fine of at least $2.3 million.
There was an average of one suicide bombing a week in Pakistan last year and more trouble is expected on polling day. Opposition parties have already claimed the ballot won’t be fair under President Pervez Musharraf, who seized power in a military coup in 1999 and declared a state of emergency last November in the face of months of demonstrations against his rule.
Australian players have said for months they have reservations about touring Pakistan, while CA has maintained it will make a final call once the election is held.
That would involve a pre-tour inspection of Pakistan – but even that has been in doubt for weeks.
As CA plays the waiting game, the mighty Board of Cricket Control of India has leapt to the defence of its Asian neighbour.
BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla said Australia would face major repercussions if it abandoned the six-week tour, due to begin mid-March.
“There will be serious consequences because you can’t just pull out a committed tour when the host board is giving you assurances about security and so is the government,” he said.
These consequences could be a minimum $2.3 million fine unless legitimate safety concerns are proven.
A PCB official welcomed Shukla’s statement, insisting it would have some bearing on the final decision of the Australians.
“Indian board is an influential one because of its position in the cricket world and recently they have managed to get their point across to the Australians on some contentious issues on their ongoing tour,” he said.
CA wants the series to be shifted to a neutral venue, but the Pakistan Cricket Board – so far – has baulked at this, despite this suggestion still allowing for the lucrative television broadcasts to be held in its own time zone.
So determined is the PCB to have a home series that it has already begun talking with India about coming over for a five-match one-day series if Australia pulls out.
CA is not keen for the series to be held in Australia, and does not want the three Tests and five one-day internationals postponed, as there is no room in the international calendar in the next two years.
Shukla said CA should have faith in the PCB and its assurances that its players would be safe.
“If the host board and government is willing to give assurances, you have to accept that you can’t just cancel a confirmed FTP tour,” he said.
Shukla’s comments have raised eyebrows, as there is a strong feeling India would prefer the Pakistan series scrapped so the Australian players would be free to play in the Indian Premier League.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23226112-11088,00.html