England calls off tour....

[Top_Cat]

The IRA wouldn't've dared touch Australian cricketers. It would've been beyond catastrophic for them to make enemies of anyone but the English.

The IRA threat isn't comparable to the current one. While they're every bit as wrong and i don't believe in making a moral distinction between any indiscriminate bombings, there was rationale to what they did (bad rationale, but still some semblance of logic). They had political goals and the bombings were part of an effort to achieve them. Islamic militants, as far as i can see, just want to cause death and destruction to Westerners on as big a scale as possible.

Don't disagree with any of that but it's tangential to the point, ultimately. If multiple bombs were going off in England now in the same way they've been going off in India or Pakistan for a while now, regardless of who was setting them off, I'm sure a touring team would think twice about going there..

And there is definitely a rationale regarding terrorist attacks, even on as large a scale as 9/11. If the aim was to just kill as many people as possible, they could have waited an hour longer when the buildings would have had around 20 000 people in them or gone and landed a plane or two at India Point, a nuclear power plant around 24 miles from NYC for example. I am, however, struggling to see the specific point of the most recent attack, though.....

 

[Uppercut]

There might be logic to it, or it may just be random, but in the end innocent civilians get perished.

I don't mean to justify the militant ****s from Ireland in the slightest. But for the purposes of determining the danger to Australia's cricket team, it's worth mentioning that they actually had political goals that meant an attack on Oz was a ridiculously bad idea.

 

[Uppercut]

Don't disagree with any of that but it's tangential to the point, ultimately. If multiple bombs were going off in England now in the same way they've been going off in India or Pakistan for a while now, regardless of who was setting them off, I'm sure a touring team would think twice about going there..

Well, the chances of being on the wrong end of an IRA bomb attack for the Aussie cricket team were the same as for anyone else, because noone was going to target them. If anything they'd've been less because they weren't English. In terms of touring Pakistan or India, the worry is that they might be targeted specifically.

 

[Top_Cat]

Well, the chances of being on the wrong end of an IRA bomb attack for the Aussie cricket team were the same as for anyone else, because noone was going to target them. If anything they'd've been less because they weren't English. In terms of touring Pakistan or India, the worry is that they might be targeted specifically.

Only the most recent one were Westerners specifically targeted, though. I agree, gives it a worrying new dimension.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying there was a high chance of being blown up in London in the 80's because there wasn't. Guess I'm just saying with terrorism, it's all about the perception and if there was an Ashes tour on when they were going off regularly, it would have at least been chatted about.

 

[Uppercut]

Only the most recent one were Westerners specifically targeted, though. I agree, gives it a worrying new dimension.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying there was a high chance of being blown up in London in the 80's because there wasn't. Guess I'm just saying with terrorism, it's all about the perception and if there was an Ashes tour on when they were going off regularly, it would have at least been chatted about.

Probably yeah. But there were so many more reasons in support of touring England than there are in support of touring India or Pakistan now, is what i meant.

 

[Top_Cat]

Probably yeah. But there were so many more reasons in support of touring England than there are in support of touring India or Pakistan now, is what i meant.

And that, I think, is why Geoff Lawson's point is flawed, as I said earlier. Won't re-hash.

 

[zaremba]

Probably yeah. But there were so many more reasons in support of touring England than there are in support of touring India or Pakistan now, is what i meant.

At the risk of being controversial I would agree that an Ashes tour is incomparably more important than a couple of dead-rubber ODIs and a measly 2-Test series played in largely empty stadia.

 

[FBU]

Alan Richardson brought into the EPP squad as Mahmood has joined the Test squad.

 

[Precambrian]

At the risk of being controversial I would agree that an Ashes tour is incomparably more important than a couple of dead-rubber ODIs and a measly 2-Test series played in largely empty stadia.

Not from $$$ p.o.v.

 

[Precambrian]

Just saw BBC report saying that English Squad will likely start on Friday to Abu Dhabhi from there to Chennai. Players will be asked to submit their consent by tomorrow, and a team formed out of them.

 

[four_or_six]

England are off to Abu-Dhabi tomorrow. The full squad is going, with a few shadow players.

I'm glad to see the ECB doing their best to have the tour go ahead as long as the security situation allows it.

 

[haroon510]

who says money and power doesn't go hand to hand in world of cricket.. damn politics.. the only reason england is touring because of BCCI's pressure on ICC and ECB..Aus and other english team didn't tour pakistan although things were safe for cricketers earlier this year simply because PCB isn't as strong financially like BCCI.. it is just shame.. politics is ruining the great game of cricket..

 

[GIMH]

England never actually pulled out of any tour to Pakistan. The CT was pulled before we had announced anything one way or the other...

 

[Richard]

Alan Richardson brought into the EPP squad as Mahmood has joined the Test squad.

Good god, it comes to something when I think "I wish Alan Richardson was in the Test squad". But I'd so much prefer him to Mahmood.

 

[nightprowler10]

Hmm, surprised about Mahmood. Has he been any good on the domestic circuit? Anyway, good on England for making a positive decision. Cricket can provide temporary relief, distract the populace from the harsh reality. I wish Australia had toured Pakistan as well or the CT had gone ahead after the Marriott blast, but oh well.

 

[duffer]

Brave stuff England. Found it really heart warming hearing a guy like Strauss say they felt they had a duty to the country and the game to go ahead with the tour. Great stuff, don't let the **** terrorists have the satisfaction.

 

[Sanz]

who says money and power doesn't go hand to hand in world of cricket.. damn politics.. the only reason england is touring because of BCCI's pressure on ICC and ECB..Aus and other english team didn't tour pakistan although things were safe for cricketers earlier this year simply because PCB isn't as strong financially like BCCI.. it is just shame.. politics is ruining the great game of cricket..

Haroon, Can you show when and where BCCI used its money and power to force England to tour ? BCCI are known to be using their clout and they have done so in the past for Pakistan and (kinda forced NZ to tour Pakistan, If I remember well), but in this case I dont think BCCI even tried to use any kind of influence. I think you should check your facts before making such grand statements.

Secondly, how is England's decision to tour India ruining the game of Cricket ?

Lastly,in current circumstances, I dont think anyone in India cares about watching the game of Cricket. People are more concerened about the state of the nation than a cricket game.

 

[Sanz]

Indians (not just Indian Cricket fans) will never forget this gesture from KP and his men and the ECB. For the rest of the tour, I will be rooting for KP and his men. Hope they do well and win the Test series.

 

[duffer]

I've gained a lot of respect for the English team, but still hope we pummel them. Hope they enjoy their trip though.

 

[Sanz]

Oh and it was really an eye opener to hear Imran Khan advising English Cricketers" to be cautious" about their return to India for the test series...this is the same Imran who not too long ago was making his point about CT in Pakistan and said " cricketers would never be under any threat from terrorists".

Yeah Right Imran, you just passed thje political science exam, another feather in your cap. Also tells us who India's real friends are in world cricket.