South Africans arrive minus cricket equipment
By Samiul Hasan
TANGIERS, Aug 10: South Africa’s preparations for Monday’s Morocco Cup opener against Pakistan took for worse when they arrived here late Friday evening without their cricket gear.
The Proteas, naturally uncomfortable, haven’t made a real mess so far nor they have issued any sensational statements. But it has been indicated between the lines that they might be forced to forfeit their opener if the lost luggage doesn’t arrive in time for the match.
The other option available with the Cricketers Benefit Fund Series (CBFS), the organizers, is to reschedule the game between Pakistan and Sri Lanka. But the Sri Lankans are unlikely to agree to the proposal after having reached this morning after more than 34 hours of journey that included an unexpected delay at London.
South African team’s carrier, Emirates, have promised that the luggage would be delivered by Sunday evening. But the problem is that the Proteas are unsure if the luggage ever reached Dubai from Johannesburg. More than 26 pieces, are missing.
“I have reasons to believe that the luggage got misplaced somewhere in Johannesburg and never arrived in Dubai,” team manager Gholam Raja said, adding: “The few players who trained together in Johannesburg got their baggage through but those who booked it from Durban or Cape Town are without any playing equipment.”
There are only three Emirates flights between Dubai and Casablanca a week and the ground traveling to Tangiers is little under five hours. The next Emirates flight coming from Dubai is scheduled for Sunday afternoon.
“We have been told that the luggage would be delivered by evening. But the problem is what happens if it remains untraced in Johannesburg,” a concerned Raja said.
Raja said the players would train Sunday evening with borrowed equipment from the colleagues, mostly bowlers. But he said it was the psychology of the batsmen that they prefer their own gears.
“For the time being, they can use the gears of their colleagues. But what will happen on the match day, is a real worry,” he said.
Raja said he had managed to only buy a few pairs of socks from local sports shops. Cricket is an unknown sports here and there are only a handful of locals aware of the fact that a cricket tournament is being held in the city that has two coasts the Mediterranean and Atlantic.
South Africa came all the way to Dubai as there are no direct flights from that continent. The only connection available is either from Dubai or London. London was ruled out because of more strenuous and tiring journey.
The South Africans took more than 24 hours to reach Tangiers while Sri Lanka required 35 odd hours after deciding to take a connection from London. But they wouldn’t have thought in their wildest dreams that their 150-minute flight from London to Tangiers would prolong to 10 hours because of a delay.
Pakistan, who arrived Wednesday, had little hassle as everything went as scheduled for them. They arrived here in little over 12 hours and also avoided the back-breaking five-hour road journey from Casablanca after taking a direct flight to Tangiers from London.
http://www.dawn.com/2002/08/11/spt1.htm
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