Zimbabwe to tour Pakistan despite players' security concerns

[OverratedSanity]

Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) may have agreed to Pakistan tour but the Zimbabwe players are edgy to visit the subcontinent nation that has been deprived of international cricket since the 2009 Lahore terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team.

Several Zimbabwe players have agreed to board the flight 'out of necessity to play competitive cricket'. The 10-day trip, players told on the condition of anonymity, is making them "nervous" and "scared" despite Pakistan's promise of beefed-up security. Zimbabwe, who doesn't have much cricket scheduled for the rest of this year, want to fill that gap, which led to ZC agreeing to Pakistan's invitation.

In return, Pakistan will tour Zimbabwe in August. The African nation's visit will be restricted to Lahore, where the two teams will play a series of two T20s and three ODIs. But Zimbabwe are taking no chances and will send a team to assess the situation and arrangements. "A high-level delegation from Zimbabwe will tour Pakistan to see the terrain and to make sure when our players go they will be looked after," ZC chairman Wilson Manase said. "I am not in any doubt that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will look after us well. This tour was announced by the president of Pakistan himself - not the president of the cricket board, so you can see the kind of level that this tour is being looked at."

Manase also confirmed that it will be full-strength Zimbabwe squad touring Pakistan, except Tendai Chatara who is out with a broken leg, adding that the players are "already practicing and they have agreed to travel". Part of this decision to tour Pakistan is also because Zimbabwe want to be in top eight by the end of 2016 for a direct qualification to the 2019 World Cup.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/sport/02-May-2015/zimbabwe-players-edgy-about-pakistan-tour

Yeah, I don't know what to make of this. Bit of a shame if they're doing it just out of desparation to get into the top 8.

 

[Daemon]

Hope it all goes smoothly.

 

[wpdavid]

I wouldn't want England going there. Mainly because our role in Afghanistan probably makes us more of a target. Not that it made any difference when SL were attacked, of course.

 

[smash84]

as much as I want cricket tours to restart back in Pak but the security situation (although) much improved from last year (and previously) still isn't what should be reasonably comfortable for foreign teams

 

[G.I.Joe]

as much as I want cricket tours to restart back in Pak but the security situation (although) much improved from last year (and previously) still isn't what should be reasonably comfortable for foreign teams

This also carries the risk of setting back international cricket in Pakistan by years if there is even the slightest security incident now. This is so touch and go.

The Zimbabwean players are also motivated by their financial situation. I read an article last week about the Zim players union wanting the PCB to bear their daily expenses if they are to tour there, which suggests to me that Cricket Zimbabwe is so mismanaged that they can't even handle the players' basic finances on tours.

 

[smash84]

This also carries the risk of setting back international cricket in Pakistan by years if there is even the slightest security incident now. This is so touch and go.

The Zimbabwean players are also motivated by their financial situation. I read an article last week about the Zim players union wanting the PCB to bear their daily expenses if they are to tour there, which suggests to me that Cricket Zimbabwe is so mismanaged that they can't even handle the players' basic finances on tours.

This is another very important point. Better to wait another year or two and take stock of the situation than to rush into it and ruin it for another decade

 

[watson]

A vendetta against English, Australian, and Kiwi cricketers I can understand. But Zimbabwi's involvement with Islamic states seems very limited, so there would be no political gain from killing them.

Even for Islamic fundamentalists who find all non-Muslims inherently digusting it would still be a case of why bother?

 

[smash84]

A vendetta against English, Australian, and Kiwi cricketers I can understand. But Zimbabwi's involvement with Islamic states seems very limited, so there would be no political gain from killing them.

Even for Islamic fundamentalists who find all non-Muslims inherently digusting it would still be a case of why bother?

I find your ridiculously west centric view of the world quite disgusting.

As if the SL cricket team didn't get attacked at all.

And it is almost as if you think that other teams are lesser mortals that they wouldn't be bothered with.

 

[watson]

I find your ridiculously west centric view of the world quite disgusting.

As if the SL cricket team didn't get attacked at all.

And it is almost as if you think that other teams are lesser mortals that they wouldn't be bothered with.

Actually, the post was meant to be the other way round.

So then, in your view, what would be the political gain in killing cricketers from Zimbabwe?

Or are Islamic fundamentalists completely psychotic and that's all there is to it? No rhyme no reason, "we just hate everyone who isn't us so much that we need to kill them".

 

[smash84]

Actually, the post was meant to be the other way round.

So then, in your view, what would be the political gain in killing cricketers from Zimbabwe?

Or are Islamic fundamentalists completely psychotic and that's all there is to it? No rhyme no reason, "we just hate everyone who isn't us so much that we need to kill them".

Don't act so innocent please. Or perhaps you are deliberately trying to troll in this thread.

You very conveniently ignored the other fact presented in my post that Sri Lankan cricketers have been attacked before.

 

[watson]

Don't act so innocent please. Or perhaps you are deliberately trying to troll in this thread.

You very conveniently ignored the other fact presented in my post that Sri Lankan cricketers have been attacked before.

OK then, it seems to me that there is a significant minority within Pakistan society that hates all non-muslims equally for no apparent reason other than they happen to be non-Muslim and from from Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, England, Australia, NZ etc.

So yes, in that case, I happen to agee that foreign cricket teams should not tour Pakistan until the moderate majority tell the minority of Islamic fundamentalists to ****-off in every conceivable way, in both public and private spheres.

 

[smash84]

OK then, it seems to me that there is a significant minority within Pakistan society that hates all non-muslims equally for no apparent reason other than they happen to be non-Muslim and from from Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, England, Australia, NZ etc.

So yes, in that case, I happen to agee that foreign cricket teams should not tour Pakistan until the moderate majority tell the minority of Islamic fundamentalists to ****-off in every conceivable way, in both public and private spheres.

Oh well, so you actually were trolling

 

[watson]

Oh well, so you actually were trolling

As they say, "silence is assent".

 

[Goughy]

Pakistan is either safe to tour or not. I personally dont know and I hope the Zimbabwe team do their research and make the right decision. No amount of additional security can make an unsafe place safe.

 

[Athlai]

A vendetta against English, Australian, and Kiwi cricketers I can understand. But Zimbabwi's involvement with Islamic states seems very limited, so there would be no political gain from killing them.

Even for Islamic fundamentalists who find all non-Muslims inherently digusting it would still be a case of why bother?

Buy a clue FFS

 

[Dan]

Actually, the post was meant to be the other way round.

So then, in your view, what would be the political gain in killing cricketers from Zimbabwe?

Or are Islamic fundamentalists completely psychotic and that's all there is to it? No rhyme no reason, "we just hate everyone who isn't us so much that we need to kill them".

Don't act so innocent please. Or perhaps you are deliberately trying to troll in this thread.

You very conveniently ignored the other fact presented in my post that Sri Lankan cricketers have been attacked before.

Yeah, uhh, can we not go down this path? Keep it to the religious discussion thread.

I'm already having enough fun deleting hundreds of spam threads; don't contrive to give me even more work as a mod.

 

[Gnske]

Might as well throw in a complementary tour of Afghanistan, just as safe.

 

[Fusion]

This tour should not happen. Sadly, Pakistan is not safe as a country for foreign teams to come visit. Even if this tour goes off without a hitch (and that's a big if), I fear it will present a false picture of security to both the Pakistanis and any cricketing nation wanting to tour the country. I also don't agree with the push by the PCB and the country at large to get International Cricket back. Right now, there are far bigger (even existential) problems for Pakistan to fix. The return of International Cricket should be problem number 988265489713 on the list.

 

[WalkingWicket]

Zimbabwe tour to Pakistan suspended

ESPN have just tweeted that 'Zimbabwe Cricket has suspended the tour to Pakistan on the advice of the country's sports regulatory body.' Is the ZC or the PCB? Either way, it's a shame. I'm not 100% up to date with the security situation in Pakistan nowadays, although I thought things had improved significantly since 2009, but it seems not. Bad for both Pakistan and Zimbabwe.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/zimbabwe/content/story/875683.html?CMP=chrome

Thanks for the merge, other thread was lost down the list.

 

[Fusion]

Wise decision taken by the Zimbabwe Cricket Board. Pakistan is not a safe country at the moment. It breaks my heart that International cricket can't return to such a cricket-mad country, but there are bigger things to worry about in Pakistan atm.