Australia's tour to Pakistan unlikely

[Burgey]

Must say I hadn't known that. Interesting point.

 

[shortpitched713]

This whole thing smacks of not giving a damn about anything but the bottom lines.

 

[silentstriker]

Pakistan bracing for pull out:

Pakistan are concerned that there will be long-term implications if, as expected, Australia pull out of their scheduled tour there due to security issues. It has become increasingly unlikely the series will go ahead in Pakistan but Shafqat Naghmi, the PCB's chief operating officer, has continued to rule out playing the games at a neutral venue.

"Neutral venues are a dangerous option in terms of not benefiting the cricket of both the playing countries as there will not be a crowd from both the countries and such series are played for the sake of viewers of TV," Naghmi said in the Australian. "If we accept it [playing at neutral venues] then in future there will be no end to this practice and it can ruin cricket around the world.

"A cricket series not only involves two playing teams but also millions of fans from both sides. There are always huge crowds to witness such encounters and cricket series are not just for the sake of cricket's television viewers."

Naghmi was also confident that if the ICC was asked to assess safety in Pakistan it would find no reason teams should not tour. "All the countries have agreed to come here," Naghmi told the Age. "If it comes to that it would be nine countries versus one in the sense that other countries have been happy to tour Pakistan. It is only Australia that hasn't come here for many, many years now."

It's just so sad that Australia have not toured Pakistan for ten years now....

I don't understand how every other country tours just fine. Plus, the security they'll get in Pakistan is much higher than what they'll get in the IPL.

 

[Burgey]

CA has just announced that the tour is officially off.

Sh*t.

 

[pasag]

Let's hope CA are serious about trying to work with the PCB to fit in a new tour as soon as possible.

 

[sideshowtim]

Let's hope CA are serious about trying to work with the PCB to fit in a new tour as soon as possible.

And let's hope the PCB are mature enough to realise that there actually is large security issues with their country and that a neutral venue is the best idea.

Very disappointed the tour has been called off.

 

[duffer]

Well the last time they used neutral venues the series was an absolute trainwreck. I've never seen Test cricket that flat before and since. So I can understand what they stand to lose by not having it in Pakistan.

But the fact that none of the players will want to go if the tour is given the green light(hahaha) means that we could see another borefest in the Middle East or Colombo. At least we can reunite Shoaib with Haydos for one last time.

 

[biased indian]

And let's hope the PCB are mature enough to realise that there actually is large security issues with their country and that a neutral venue is the best idea.

Very disappointed the tour has been called off.

wht u want another Pak vs Aus in UAE ????

I think a PAK vs AUS in india will be a good idea with the way thing stand...the indian crowd will be fully support the pakistan team and they wont feel like they are playing in a neutral ground..

 

[Burgey]

wht u want another Pak vs Aus in UAE ????

I think a PAK vs AUS in india will be a good idea with the way thing stand...the indian crowd will be fully support the pakistan team and they wont feel like they are playing in a neutral ground..

Why would they go? Edit: the crowds I mean, not the players

 

[sideshowtim]

wht u want another Pak vs Aus in UAE ????

I think a PAK vs AUS in india will be a good idea with the way thing stand...the indian crowd will be fully support the pakistan team and they wont feel like they are playing in a neutral ground..

I don't care where it's played, I just want to see the tour go ahead. Pakistan get woeful crowds to Test matches anyway, so they don't stand to lose much.

 

[duffer]

Why would they go? Edit: the crowds I mean, not the players

If BOOM BOOM plays you'll get a crowd anywhere in the subcontinent. Probably get a few Shoaib fans coming down as well.

 

[biased indian]

Why would they go? Edit: the crowds I mean, not the players

for a change i would like to see the games....

Its test cricket...and at the end of the day you are watching it for the love of game rather than patriotism..u might actually like it

i am sure you will get more people in kolkata than you will get any where in pakistan..they just love test cricket

 

[Burgey]

for a change i would like to see the games....

Its test cricket...and at the end of the day you are watching it for the love of game rather than patriotism..u might actually like it

i am sure you will get more people in kolkata than you will get any where in pakistan..they just love test cricket

It would be interesting to see re. the crowds, if they decided to do it that way.

SST, there's more to what's lost than just poor crowds. If crowds are poor in Pakistan (and they are) how can the game be promoted there and the crowds improved if there is no hard, competitive test cricket played there? If anything it would bring the crowds back, surely it would be the home side against the number one ranked side, with some great players on board?

 

[sideshowtim]

It would be interesting to see re. the crowds, if they decided to do it that way.

SST, there's more to what's lost than just poor crowds. If crowds are poor in Pakistan (and they are) how can the game be promoted there and the crowds improved if there is no hard, competitive test cricket played there? If anything it would bring the crowds back, surely it would be the home side against the number one ranked side, with some great players on board?

It's not like no side is ever going to tour Pakistan again. The PCB need to realise that, at the present time, their country is unsafe to tour and act accordingly. We would certainly tour Pakistan if it was safe to do so. Playing at a neutral venue is better than not playing the tour at all for the game and its future in Pakistan.

 

[duffer]

Pakistan as of now is hardly any different to any time in the last decade. It's the nature of the country: Extremism and general volatility is a fact of life there.

 

[sideshowtim]

Pakistan as of now is hardly any different to any time in the last decade. It's the nature of the country: Extremism and general volatility is a fact of life there.

Yes, it generally is a place that you need to exercise caution, but at the moment, due to the recent elections things are more heated. They should cool down soon enough, but until then...

I'm sorry, you can try and tell me it's as safe as you want, but I trust independent security delegations who have done a lot of research into this more than some bloke telling me you're more likely to get robbed than blown up by a terrorist.

 

[duffer]

I'm not saying it's safe, what I'm saying is it's no different to any other time during the country's history.

EDIT: I can't see any Australian team going anywhere near the place for a very very long time.

 

[Laurrz]

It would be interesting to see re. the crowds, if they decided to do it that way.

if its in England im sure the Pakistanis and Aussies living in England wouldnt mind

 

[sideshowtim]

if its in England im sure the Pakistanis and Aussies living in England wouldnt mind

It'll be too hard. Clashes with the County season which uses all the grounds all the time.

 

[biased indian]

It'll be too hard. Clashes with the County season which uses all the grounds all the time.

pakistan will loose the home ground condition also

they will be far different