Attack Leaves All of Us in Peril, Says Strauss
The England captain Andrew Strauss says international cricketers will feel vulnerable anywhere they play in the world after the attacks on the Sri Lanka team bus
Andrew Strauss admitted last night that cricketers will feel vulnerable wherever they play in the world in the wake of yesterday's devastating attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in Pakistan.
The England captain acknowledged that the attack in Lahore, which killed eight people and left seven Sri Lankan players and one official injured, had changed the face of the game forever.
"You never feel vulnerable until something like this, then you're always feeling vulnerable," Strauss said from the team's tour of West Indies. "Wherever we go in the world we have very good security but I suppose this proves that, no matter how much security, there is always a chance that something can happen.
"One argument that was used is that it was very unlikely cricketers would be targeted. Clearly that has been proved wrong. That's not a good situation for cricketers. But people have died and that's more important than us thinking about any future tours and that sort of stuff. It's been a terrible day for the game of cricket and the families of the victims."
The effects of events in Lahore were swiftly felt as Cricket Australia confirmed it had begun discussions to play its postponed Test tour of Pakistan in England next July, New Zealand canceled a tour to Pakistan scheduled for November and the Indian Premier League was thrown into doubt.
IPL officials will meet government ministers this week in a move that could result in the high-profile tournament being postponed. The India home minister wants it be can called so that it does not clash with elections and leave security forces stretched.
If the government did force the postponement of the IPL, it would effectively put paid to the lucrative deals secured by Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen, who must return to England after three weeks of the Twenty20 competition to play a Test for their country against West Indies.
"I have requested the home secretary to get in touch with the IPL organisers and discuss rescheduling the dates," said India's home minister, Palaniappan Chidambaram. "It will be difficult to provide adequate paramilitary forces for election purposes and for the IPL."
The IPL, scheduled to be held from April 10 to May 24 at nine venues across India, said it had already taken the elections into account. "When we drew up the schedule we clearly said that we would not have matches on days of the election, so we are not going to have matches a day or two before and the day of the elections," said the IPL tournament director, Dhiraj Malhotra. He said it would be "difficult" to reschedule the tournament for later in the season but left the final decision to the government: "We will certainly see what the government has to say and we will obviously have to convince the government that the tournament has to go ahead."
The international players' union – the federation of international cricketers' associations – said its members were worried about IPL security. It has written to the IPL asking that player representatives "be involved in the evaluation and construction of security", said the chief executive, Tim May. "An increasing number of players have expressed a desire for an independent level of comfort surrounding security arrangements re this event," he added. Pietersen said he was "not even thinking" about the IPL after the Lahore tragedy.
The International Cricket Council said it would defer discussions on whether Pakistan could remain a host of the 2011 World Cup until mid-April. But its chief executive, Haroon Lorgat, admitted it would be "very challenging for us to be convinced that Pakistan could be a safe venue". The tournament was due to be hosted by Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
The England captain acknowledged that the attack in Lahore, which killed eight people and left seven Sri Lankan players and one official injured, had changed the face of the game forever.
"You never feel vulnerable until something like this, then you're always feeling vulnerable," Strauss said from the team's tour of West Indies. "Wherever we go in the world we have very good security but I suppose this proves that, no matter how much security, there is always a chance that something can happen.
"One argument that was used is that it was very unlikely cricketers would be targeted. Clearly that has been proved wrong. That's not a good situation for cricketers. But people have died and that's more important than us thinking about any future tours and that sort of stuff. It's been a terrible day for the game of cricket and the families of the victims."
The effects of events in Lahore were swiftly felt as Cricket Australia confirmed it had begun discussions to play its postponed Test tour of Pakistan in England next July, New Zealand canceled a tour to Pakistan scheduled for November and the Indian Premier League was thrown into doubt.
IPL officials will meet government ministers this week in a move that could result in the high-profile tournament being postponed. The India home minister wants it be can called so that it does not clash with elections and leave security forces stretched.
If the government did force the postponement of the IPL, it would effectively put paid to the lucrative deals secured by Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen, who must return to England after three weeks of the Twenty20 competition to play a Test for their country against West Indies.
"I have requested the home secretary to get in touch with the IPL organisers and discuss rescheduling the dates," said India's home minister, Palaniappan Chidambaram. "It will be difficult to provide adequate paramilitary forces for election purposes and for the IPL."
The IPL, scheduled to be held from April 10 to May 24 at nine venues across India, said it had already taken the elections into account. "When we drew up the schedule we clearly said that we would not have matches on days of the election, so we are not going to have matches a day or two before and the day of the elections," said the IPL tournament director, Dhiraj Malhotra. He said it would be "difficult" to reschedule the tournament for later in the season but left the final decision to the government: "We will certainly see what the government has to say and we will obviously have to convince the government that the tournament has to go ahead."
The international players' union – the federation of international cricketers' associations – said its members were worried about IPL security. It has written to the IPL asking that player representatives "be involved in the evaluation and construction of security", said the chief executive, Tim May. "An increasing number of players have expressed a desire for an independent level of comfort surrounding security arrangements re this event," he added. Pietersen said he was "not even thinking" about the IPL after the Lahore tragedy.
The International Cricket Council said it would defer discussions on whether Pakistan could remain a host of the 2011 World Cup until mid-April. But its chief executive, Haroon Lorgat, admitted it would be "very challenging for us to be convinced that Pakistan could be a safe venue". The tournament was due to be hosted by Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Use the feedback form below to submit your comments.
Use the form below to email this article to your friends.
- Captain Strauss Must Throw Caution to the Wind
- Strauss Prepared to Gamble in Desperate Bid to Square Series
- We Are All Targets Now, Says Strauss
- Strauss Takes Lead to Set Up New Openers' Record for England
- High Time England Tricked Sarwan Out of His Comfort Zone
- Harmison Launches the Assault After Collingwood's Ton
- Strauss Seizes Initiative to Exorcise Sabina Demons
- Strauss Handed Selection Headache By Flintoff Fitness
- KP's Solid – It's Injuries and the Ipl Strauss Should Fear
- Caribbean Decline Will Bolster Strauss's Winning Record
- Strauss Finds Form As England Enjoy Win and Flintoff Boost
- Wisdom of Ages for Strauss to Follow
- Strauss Makes Haste After Slow-hand Panesar Delivers
- Strauss Calls for Ecb to Allow Players to Make Their Own Decisions on Ipl
- Pietersen Will Get His Say in Brave New World Under Strauss
- Strauss and Moody Still the Right Men for England
- Should Strauss Just Resign Right Now?
- How England's Players Split Their Allegiances
- 'What Kp Did Was in the Best Interests of the Team', Says Strauss
- Strauss Faces Biggest Test: Restoring Harmony to Dressing Room