**Official Tri-Series in Sri Lanka (Sri Lanka, South Africa, India)**

[silentstriker]

South Africa's own security experts and the ICC-commissioned security experts apparently concurred that "the players' safety could not be guaranteed". But what were the real risks? The Tamil Tigers have never targeted tourists, let alone international sporting teams. Back in 1996 they publicly stated that they would not target visiting cricket teams and there is no evidence to suggest this stance has changed. The two car bombs in Colombo during the past month have been tit-for-tat attempted political assassinations, not a terror campaign targeting civilians.

South Africa made the valid point that there was a small theoretical chance the team could be caught in a crossfire, but Sri Lanka went to the extent of agreeing that main roads in Colombo would be shut down and traffic-free. There were three waves of security cloaking the team hotel and no way of being caught-up in a car bomb. What was the security firm worried about? People, understandably, want to know.

And not only that...the security firm is based in Dubai and never even visited Sri Lanka.

 

[Sanz]

Good god, there's some self-serving tosh on this thread. South Africa had every right (as far as I'm concerned) to head home - take NZ for example. They've been in Sri Lanka TWICE when bombs have gone off (1986/7 and 1992) and once in Pakistan - as others have said, at the end of the day, it's only sport, and if I was on a sports tour and a bomb went off nearby, the first thing I'd be doing is working out how to get back home.

Call it weak, call it the easy way out. Or call it sensible.

These people suggesting South Africa are going home because they're in poor form are typical schoolyard bullies who like putting the boot in when a team is down. How about you use something other than a bomb blast to feed your little conspiracy theories?

I dont think I can disagree with any of it. Well Said.

 

[Sanz]

And not only that...the security firm is based in Dubai and never even visited Sri Lanka.

And you make statements against SA as if you have visited SriLanka after the incident and personally assessed the secutiry threat.

 

[silentstriker]

And you make statements against SA as if you have visited SriLanka after the incident and personally assessed the secutiry threat.

Um, I said you were probably safer in Colombo than Johannesberg. I did not compare any specific situation; I was just going by crime reports. Apparently, that firm did not even do that.

And I never said you shouldn't play cricket in Johannesberg. I was lashing out at this ridiculous notion that Colombo is somehow Baghdad of South Asia.

 

[silentstriker]

if I was on a sports tour and a bomb went off nearby, the first thing I'd be doing is working out how to get back home.

Would you do the same thing if someone got shot in a carjacking a block down the road? Neither scenario is likely to happen to you, and you aren't targetted specifically.

People who clamored to go home have no idea about the situation in Sri Lanka. I don't claim to be an expert, but even I know that much.

 

[Sanz]

People who clamored to go home have no idea about the situation in Sri Lanka.

EXACTLY.

 

[jot1]

What's the bet, if they didn't go home and some were killed, people would say it's their own fault, they were warned and should have heeded the warning and gone home?

 

[Langeveldt]

i hope the south africans get a heavy penalty

on what basis? Leaving a country on the reccomendation of an ICC-approved security council?

 

[adharcric]

on what basis? Leaving a country on the reccomendation of an ICC-approved security council?

just feel sorry for the sri lankan board ... they just can't seem to make any money on cricket these days with all thats going on

 

[Sanz]

In that case should't they be demanding money from the weathergods ?

 

[viktor]

on what basis? Leaving a country on the reccomendation of an ICC-approved security council?

Well somebody has to pay for the losses the SL board will suffer. The ICC didn't force SA to leave. They wanted to (For whatever reasons.). It only seems fair that they reimburse SL's losses .

 

[viktor]

In that case should't they be demanding money from the weathergods ?

Isn't that a separate issue? SA didn't leave because of the weather, did they?

 

[Jungle Jumbo]

Isn't that a separate issue? SA didn't leave because of the weather, did they?

It would still be raining whether South Africa were still in the country or not.

 

[viktor]

It would still be raining whether South Africa were still in the country or not.

Is that why they cancelled the Tri-series ?

 

[Jungle Jumbo]

Is that why they cancelled the Tri-series ?

No, but if they were still playing the Tri-series it wouldn't be happening anyway.

 

[silentstriker]

No, but if they were still playing the Tri-series it wouldn't be happening anyway.

Irrelevent to the discussion. Those are two separate issues. Unless you are saying SA would have left because they got scared of the rain.

 

[Jungle Jumbo]

Irrelevent to the discussion. Those are two separate issues. Unless you are saying SA would have left because they got scared of the rain.

The discussion was based around Sri Lanka losing out because of the SA pullout. Now it is raining, and they are losing out again. If SA had stayed, it would still be raining, and they would still be losing out. The answer: regardless of your internal problems and violence, don't organise cricket in the monsoon season. Which brings me back to my orginial point, in that they have to because of the over-packed international calendar.

 

[Neil Pickup]

This is God trying to tell us not to play so many bloody ODIs.

 

[viktor]

No, but if they were still playing the Tri-series it wouldn't be happening anyway.

The Tri-series was scheduled to end on Sep 2nd. Are you saying that you know that the weather will not allow any games till then? And that SA already knew it when they pulled out?
Come on!!
I am not gainsaying SA's right to leave for security reasons. But if the decision wasn't imposed on them, shouldn't they, out of fairness pay for atleast some of the losses???

 

[Jungle Jumbo]

The Tri-series was scheduled to end on Sep 2nd. Are you saying that you know that the weather will not allow any games till then? And that SA already knew it when they pulled out?
Come on!!
I am not gainsaying SA's right to leave for security reasons. But if the decision wasn't imposed on them, shouldn't they, out of fairness pay for atleast some of the losses???

I'm not disputing that at all, separate matter. But if you organise any cricket in a monsoon season, and then it rains, can you really say that it was unlucky - even if it has now happened several times?