England cricketers will tour lucrative India but 'dangerous' Pak is causing concern

[Saj]

I'm not a big fan of Derek Pringle but this article is a cracker in my opinion :-

What if, instead of an Indian Premier League, there was an opulent Pakistan Twenty20 tournament which offered them a million dollars each for six weeks' cricket in Karachi, Multan, Lahore and Faisalabad? Well, I'd wager that their kit and a copy of Ray Mears' survival guide would be packed already.

Actually, you don't even need to create the circumstances to test the relativity of the their resolve. On Saturday, following recent explosions in Jaipur and Bangalore, there were 16 bomb blasts in Ahmedabad, the place where England play the first Test against India this December. Yet, with players not wanting to jeopardise potentially lucrative contracts in next year's Indian Premier League, the only concession likely to be pushed for is a change of venue.

Like insurance companies, cricket players seem to have a sliding scale when it comes to assessing risk. The more on offer, the more emboldened they become.

The trouble with having the Champions Trophy in Pakistan is that it is a deeply unloved tournament taking place in a country few England players have ever had the stomach for. Given the opportunity to give both the swerve, players are always going to take it.

I'm with them on the ICC Champions Trophy, which although well-intentioned when it began back in 1998, serves little purpose except to clog the itinerary with more 50-over cricket.

But I'm against them on Pakistan, which is one of the more beautiful and fascinating countries to tour, providing you can escape the featureless Punjab triangle between Multan, Faisalabad and Lahore.

And that is Pakistan's problem at present, with regard to Western teams and fans. The interesting bits, like Peshawar, the Swat Valley and the tribal areas around the Khyber Pass have become hotbeds of Islamic fundamentalism and are therefore out of bounds, while Karachi, a vast, simmering cauldron of a city, can flare up in a trice.

Another hurdle is the modern obsession over "duty of care", with players now more aware about what employers can and cannot make them do. In the past, ignorance on such matters was widespread.

For instance, only a few players in England's 1987 World Cup squad were aware that Peshawar, where we played Sri Lanka in the group stages, was a bolthole for Mujahideen fighting the Russians in Afghanistan, their "hostels" set up by none other than Osama bin Laden.

While there, a bomb went off in the main market, killing several people. It was blamed on the KGB trying to kill Mujahideen leaders and we were simply told to be careful and to not venture far from our hotel. Certainly none of us contemplated returning home, though when I ventured with Allan Lamb and our intrepid chief supporter, Sir Tim Rice, to see a contraband smuggler in the tribal areas, a lawless region west of Peshawar, the team manager did give us a ticking off.

Whether or not you are a likely target should have a bearing on perceived risk. Back in 1987 the England team had no enemies off the field. But with Britain and Australia still standing shoulder to shoulder with George Bush on the global war against terror (but which many Muslims read as a war on Islam), players, journalists, and travelling fans from those countries all present targets for the extreme elements currently operating within Pakistan.

It is not a new phenomenon. England's cricketers felt threatened on their tour of India in 1984/85, following the assassination of the country's president Indira Gandhi. When Britain's Deputy High Commissioner, Percy Norris, was also shot dead in the discord that followed, the team became understandably nervous about playing on. To get players to stay, team manager Tony Brown threw all their passports on a table and told those who wanted out to take theirs and p**s off. Nobody did and with captain David Gower steadying nerves, England went on to win the Test series 2-1.

All teams are given armed protection in India and Pakistan these days, but it can be relative. Graeme Fowler, who was on that 1984 tour, remembers travelling on the bus full of soldiers handed the duty of looking after England.

"I asked one of them to show me the bullets for his rifle and he pulled three out of his pocket," recalls Fowler. "He told me that if he used any of them he'd have to replace them from his own wages, so you could see why he hadn't loaded them."

For some teams the threat has proved all too real with New Zealand twice feeling the shockwaves, following car bombs outside their hotels in Karachi and Colombo. The ICC can move the Champions Trophy from Pakistan but the back-up venue is Sri Lanka, a place where Tamil Tigers routinely explode devices, including several on England's last tour there.

It is a tricky problem for cricket, which as Kevin Pietersen pointed out last Friday, is only a sport and therefore one he is not prepared to lose his life for. King Kev is right to have such a perspective, just as long as he remembers that hypocrisy is a word difficult to shake off, should the IPL come a knocking.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cri...g-concern.html

[Geordie Ahmed]

Superb article - enjoyed reading that

[Iqbal'sh]

Fair minded fellows echoing what PP'ers have been saying for a while now.

[TaZ]

This and the NZ journo article are good balanced reads..

[isr]

Someone give that man a cookie. A big one, with chocolate chips, and rainbow sprinkles on top.

Great read.

Who'da thunk it? A man who once pulled a muscle while writing a letter (I think while touring India?) showing more spine than King Pieterson et al.

[Monsee]

[CROSS]King[/CROSS] - Kev is right to have such a perspective, just as long as he remembers that hypocrisy is a word difficult to shake off, should the IPL come a knocking.

Great qoute...Let's see how long Mr. Peterson can talk about it only being a sport and not start saying 'We must live our lives as normal as possible unless them terrorists win', once IPL comes looking for him!

[Boi]

Great Article Really Enjoyed Reading It!!

[iafzal]

I have seen his great fielding heroics but this writing of his takes the cake.

[McBoom]

I am sure Kevinder Pietersingh would not disappoint Pringle when the time comes to change his stance once again.

A nice article by the way.

[majalani]

Similar article by Mike Selvey

The greater the money on offer the less the worry on bombs
Would international players be so reluctant to play in Pakistan if they were being paid huge sums of money to do so?
Mike SelveyJuly 29, 2008 12:54 AM

To the outsider Pakistan cricket has always appeared a battlefield, with fighting on two fronts: on the one hand with the other Test sides and on the other within itself. It seems to have survived over the years on a wing and a prayer, despite itself, with a first-class structure (the loosest of terms) rife with nepotism and a cricket board influenced by regional factions, national government and corruption.

There have been issues with umpires, throwing, ball-tampering and match-fixing, things that have affected other countries but never quite to the same degree. Yet, somehow, from this emerge time and again the most brilliant of cricketers - the fieriest of pacemen, magical spinners and batsmen of genius. It is often said that, given an infrastructure as solid as that in Australia or England, Pakistan would be unbeatable.

But now a danger looms for Pakistan's position in the global game. Players from England, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa are reluctant to travel there in September to play in the Champions Trophy, a mini World Cup. The venues were rubber-stamped last week by the International Cricket Council but the risk is that Pakistan is being increasingly ostracised by countries beyond its immediate neighbour India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and West Indies.

These, it has to be admitted, are increasingly troubled times in Pakistan and it is surely not hard to sympathise with the players. England toured three years ago with what was termed a presidential level of security and since then the Foreign Office advice has been beefed right up and now counsels no travel to Pakistan other than essential. Whether that includes cricket it does not expand upon.

New Zealanders have every right to be cautious, having been caught in a monstrous hotel blast in Karachi in 2002, reported by the redoubtable Kiwi cricket broadcaster Bryan Waddle while still covered in shards of glass from blown-in windows.

The South Africans were there earlier in the year, so they have the most recent experience. "We do have major concerns with security in Pakistan," said Graeme Smith, the South African captain, last week. "A lot has happened since we were there and those are things that are worrying us. I don't know any players who don't have issues with regards to security in Pakistan. There were bombings taking place in Karachi and bombings are taking place in Lahore now. Within three days of us returning home there was a state of emergency, so we have seen how quickly things can develop." Having avoided touring Pakistan for a decade, Australians do not have first-hand knowledge but that does not negate their right to be concerned.

In all this the ICC, a wheezing nebulous body of decreasing influence, is caught between recognising the genuine concerns of some and the necessity not to marginalise Pakistan further. Were I Pakistani, Indian, Bangladeshi or Sri Lankan I might view things in a different light. But I cannot see how the insistence on staging in Pakistan what will inevitably become a meaningless, devalued exercise will do anything but embarrass a country that needs and deserves help. A proper global tournament in another country, even a neutral venue, surely had to be the answer, although this does not help the Pakistani spectating public.

Meanwhile I await further evidence of what might at best be viewed as double standards by the players, and at worst hypocrisy. In 2005 Australia and England played one-day internationals at Lord's and The Oval just days after the July 7 atrocities in central London. If memory serves, there was no clamour to leave. Last winter England toured Sri Lanka even as bombs were exploding in Colombo and its environs. My family and I remained in Sri Lanka after the tour to enjoy a memorable Christmas and to appreciate that sometimes the reality outweighs the perception.

But there has to be some consistency. Many of those who express fears about touring Pakistan are the same players who have played a season in the Indian Premier League. On May 14 six bombs exploded in Jaipur causing at least 80 deaths and injuring 150. Three days later, in the Sawai Mansingh stadium, Rajasthan Royals beat Bangalore Royal Challengers, the players including Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis of South Africa and Shane Watson and Cameron White of Australia. I have not heard any concerns about the future of the IPL if such incidents continue. Would Kevin Pietersen, say, be so adamant about not touring Pakistan if he had just signed a £3m contract with Lahore Lightning in the PPL? Saturday's bombs in Ahmedabad, venue for England's first Test against India later in the year, give further cause for thought.

[Xshazero]

Gr8 Artilce....Enjoyed reading it...... Thanks Saj for sharing with us...

[Tapori]

The somewhat more liberal Guaridan giving a seemingly balanced article by Mike Selvey here in the UK with an article similiar to Derek Pringles.


http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/20..._on_offer.html

The blog is quite lively which might interest some from here.

[Bublu Bhuyan]

Originally Posted by imranahmed_khan I am sure Kevinder Pietersingh would not disappoint Pringle when the time comes to change his stance once again. A nice article by the way.

LOL.

[BirdOfPrey]

brilliant article, good read

[Robert]

Originally Posted by Saj Another hurdle is the modern obsession over "duty of care", with players now more aware about what employers can and cannot make them do. In the past, ignorance on such matters was widespread.

I don't see how English Common Law Duty of Care could possible apply. It would only cover those risks which the EWCB could reasonably be considered able to control.

Pringle being a bit ignorant of the Law here, I think.

[Usman]

This is an extremely tricky situation for all.

On the one hand, the players do not want to tour because they find Pakistan 'boring'. Of course security, although a concern, is used more often than not as a convenient excuse. To add to that, the IPL has shown cricketers from all over the globe that they can afford to pick and chose where they want to tour since they can now earn huge sums with this tournament alone. Add on top of this the fact that the Champions trophy is easily the worst of all ICC tournaments and of course international cricket salaries are peanuts compared to the IPL.

The ICC on the other hand has to protect the interests of Pakistani cricket. It's clear that Pakistan has security threats no more than other nations such as Sri Lanka and India. I think even the ICC realise that the real problem is the hypocritical nature of the players who would much rather play in more lucrative countries.

Pakistani cricket will suffer either way. If the venue of the tournament is changed, it gives a convenient excuse for future tours to not go ahead. If the tournament goes ahead in Pakistan, we will see a number of international players sit at home simply because the money is not enough for them to feel secure!!! The tournament lets face it is often dull anyway and watching 2nd or 3rd rate teams face each other will not be incredibly exciting for anyone.

If only Pakistan had the money the BCCI can offer! I'm sure there would be no such security threats keeping players at home then.

[Taurus]

I disagree with the critical air of the article. Life, and money, are always about the weighting of the risk against the reward. There are certain things that you will do only if the reward is substantial. International players have little to gain and everything to lose (in their minds) in touring Pakistan. Whereas in the IPL (even if it were hypothetically hosted by Pakistan) they would gain a lot in terms of money and reputation which would offset the risk. It's the same in any job, it's about the most you're willing to do for the amount of money or prestige offered.

Derek Pringle can say what he likes writing safely in his corner.

[PlanetPakistan]

Originally Posted by Augustus I disagree with the critical air of the article. Life, and money, are always about the weighting of the risk against the reward. There are certain things that you will do only if the reward is substantial. International players have little to gain and everything to lose (in their minds) in touring Pakistan. Whereas in the IPL (even if it were hypothetically hosted by Pakistan) they would gain a lot in terms of money and reputation which would offset the risk. It's the same in any job, it's about the most you're willing to do for the amount of money or prestige offered. Derek Pringle can say what he likes writing safely in his corner.

fair call Augustus.

Instead of making other excuses and giving and trying to give a bad name to Pakistan it will be nice if the players come out and just admit that.

[Amjid Javed]

Good article but we already know that Aussies, englishmen, kiwis etc... will happily got to india despite danger because of love for extra money!

[Bublu Bhuyan]

Originally Posted by Augustus I disagree with the critical air of the article. Life, and money, are always about the weighting of the risk against the reward. There are certain things that you will do only if the reward is substantial. International players have little to gain and everything to lose (in their minds) in touring Pakistan. Whereas in the IPL (even if it were hypothetically hosted by Pakistan) they would gain a lot in terms of money and reputation which would offset the risk. It's the same in any job, it's about the most you're willing to do for the amount of money or prestige offered. Derek Pringle can say what he likes writing safely in his corner.

True.

[nikred]

Originally Posted by imranahmed_khan I am sure Kevinder Pietersingh would not disappoint Pringle when the time comes to change his stance once again. A nice article by the way.

If i remember right i came up with the Kevinder part of that name

[McBoom]

Originally Posted by nikred If i remember right i came up with the Kevinder part of that name

Do you want copyrights ??

I don't know who came up with that name with it was created because of the new found love that Pietersingh had for IPL.

[TaZ]

Mike Selvey with another excellent balanced article. Quite frankly I'm sympathetic to anyone not wanting to tour a country on safety grounds but when those same players exhibit the double standards as reported in these articles I have no sympathy whatsoever with their point of view.

[Monsee]

Originally Posted by Augustus I disagree with the critical air of the article. Life, and money, are always about the weighting of the risk against the reward. There are certain things that you will do only if the reward is substantial. International players have little to gain and everything to lose (in their minds) in touring Pakistan. Whereas in the IPL (even if it were hypothetically hosted by Pakistan) they would gain a lot in terms of money and reputation which would offset the risk. It's the same in any job, it's about the most you're willing to do for the amount of money or prestige offered. Derek Pringle can say what he likes writing safely in his corner.

First up I don't buy the reputation argument...for a newbie like Shuan Marsh, maybe true but for a recognized player like Hayden, Ponting, Smith etc. what reputation will they get for playing in a Mickey Mouse tournament like IPL?

Now call me Aussie or just plain ignorant but how does tons of money a player makes through IPL, offsets any risk to his Life; once your life is gone, what benefit will that money be to that player?

I mean isn't this the argument of all these Hypocritical Chickens that their lives are in danger if they tour Pakistan?

Sorry to say this but trying to defend 'Hypocrites' despite them being your fellow country, makes you look like an even bigger hypocrite in my book!

[Taurus]

It was purely a hypothetical point - if you're being paid £1m to tour somewhere that poses a slight threat as against £100k, you're going to go with the former. As it is, the players have a choice between £1m for touring a place that is perceived not to be a threat, and a lot less for touring somewhere that is. Given those choices, I know which one I'd take, despite the misconceptions.

Irrespective of risk though, people always go where the money is. Even if there's a slight risk of death (and it's very, very slight in this case). I agree that no-one would go on a suicide mission, but this wouldn't quite be the same as a suicide mission. I'm not defending anyone - I criticise England regularly, and I've been no different this time. I wrote a virtual essay on the matter just a few days ago, and I shall stand by it.

On the prestige thing - with the amount of money and supporters the IPL attracts, only the best players are selected so just to be a part of it enhances your claim to be a top cricketer. I dare say some players have at least enhanced their reputations, one way or another. Playing good cricket, no matter what the form of the game, can only make you more popular.

[cars112]

Originally Posted by Monsee Sorry to say this but trying to defend 'Hypocrites' despite them being your fellow country, makes you look like an even bigger hypocrite in my book!

Agreed - seeing the Aussie and English posters jump to the defense of their hypocritical cricketers is disappointing but also amusing in its own way

[the SHA]

I watched an interesting Test match lunch session doc by Sky Sports during this present England Vs South Africa series, about the history of the series' between the two teams.

It was simply fascinating to watch the pictures of Captain Mike Gatting walking outside a ground in pre-aparthied South Africa, during the infamous England rebels tour to S.A. in 1989, to hundreds of angry black protestors seemingly poised to pounce on him and Ali Bacher any minute!

Its quite amazing the power of money...

[Dhonifan]

shucks, and I thought people loved us for our personality

[Atif]

a nice article, good read