"We are probably safer in Islamabad than in London " : Ian Chappell

[MenInG]

Ian Chappell on TV

"We have just been in Pakistan for a few days but I can say I feel very safe"

"We were saying to each other at breakfast today that we are probably safer in Islamabad than in London"

"This is the question I would ask cricketers and administrators; alright you aren't coming to Pakistan based on the security situation but what are you going to do about the news coming from England? There's got to be some balance here "

 

[big_gamer007]

No one is safe anywhere these days.. Safest places are probably remote islands

 

[marlonbrowndo]

Ian Chappell about to become a hero on pp. In all seriousness, Islamabad may be a boring city with pindi boys and burgers but objectively speaking it is easily the best place to live in Pakistan and very safe.

 

[Markhor]

"This is the question I would ask cricketers and administrators; alright you aren't coming to Pakistan based on the security situation but what are you going to do about the news coming from England? There's got to be some balance here "

Chappell supposedly has a reputation for straight talking but pay him a bit and its funny how his tune changes.

Compare the deaths from terrorism since 2001 in England and Pakistan then you'll get your answer.

No visiting team has ever been shot at by terrorists in England.

 

[Flat_Track_Bully]

Chappell supposedly has a reputation for straight talking but pay him a bit and its funny how his tune changes.

Compare the deaths from terrorism since 2001 in England and Pakistan then you'll get your answer.

No visiting team has ever been shot at by terrorists in England.

Oh stop it Pakistan is safe to host cricket now.

We are playing a word tournament in a country with 3 terrorist attacks within 2 months.

 

[Beggars4neighbors]

Now the tune will change,he became a villian when he told PAK not to visit AUS again and now he will be praised as a true friend of PAK cricket.

 

[zn426]

Chappell supposedly has a reputation for straight talking but pay him a bit and its funny how his tune changes.

Compare the deaths from terrorism since 2001 in England and Pakistan then you'll get your answer.

No visiting team has ever been shot at by terrorists in England.

Unfortunately it's only a matter of time...

 

[ahmedwaqas92]

Can we expedite his honorary citizenship

 

[Rafay Shafiq]

Money talks

 

[czar]

If given a choice between Pakistan and UK, I know which place a neutral would prefer to visit.

 

[Mamoon]

One of the worst statements Chappell has ever made.

 

[pakistanigoneaussie]

Can we expedite his honorary citizenship

Money talks

It may surprise some but Ian's always had a soft spot for Pakistan cricket, he only really lost it after the Sydney 2011 test and even then he helped publicaly raise money for the Pakistan floods.

I think his criticism in regards to pak cricket can be so brutal because he knows how far we have fallen

 

[Markhor]

Oh stop it Pakistan is safe to host cricket now.

We are playing a word tournament in a country with 3 terrorist attacks within 2 months.

Please enter the real world. Your perception or my perception of Pakistan's security doesn't matter one iota - obviously we both are biased towards wanting Pakistan to host internationals again.

Its the outside perception that counts and the UK, even in its worst phase of terrorist attacks since 9/11, is still seen as safer than Pakistan where 271 civilians have died this year alone in Pakistan including 126 people that were killed in 10 days this February. Terrorists still have capacity to strike major cities like Lahore and Peshawar.

35 people have died this year from terrorism in the UK. This compares to 1,094 deaths in the 15-year period before that, between 1985 and 1999, and a further 2,211 between 1970 and 1984 so its far safer in the UK now than in previous generations.

The fact that no foreign team has toured Pakistan after the Zimbabwe series in 2015 or after this year's PSL final shows Pakistan still has some way to go in rebuilding confidence in its security.

 

[Ultimate]

What is he doing in Pakistan?

 

[90MPH]

Islamabad is vey safe actually compared to most of the other cities.

Infact compared to 5/6 years ago most of the cities are much safer.

I would have no problem going to Pakistan now unlike a few years ago.

The problem is the perception and it only takes 1 attack and we are back to square one. It's got to have to stay quite for some time.

 

[croyden_ruiz]

Its kinda meaningless now they [cricketing nations] have already destroyed Pakistan's cricket thru isolation, the cricket board is itself a mess swarming with political appointees. They will only contribute to worsen the situation. Pakistan cricket would've survived better than South Africa but the board brought political appointed Akmals and Malik, and selfish role model like Misbah. Pathetic pitches in Dubai also finished whatever was left. Now even if all teams come rushing in situation can't change for the foreseeable future .

 

[KyoOne]

Please enter the real world. Your perception or my perception of Pakistan's security doesn't matter one iota - obviously we both are biased towards wanting Pakistan to host internationals again.

Its the outside perception that counts and the UK, even in its worst phase of terrorist attacks since 9/11, is still seen as safer than Pakistan where 271 civilians have died this year alone in Pakistan including 126 people that were killed in 10 days this February. Terrorists still have capacity to strike major cities like Lahore and Peshawar.

35 people have died this year from terrorism in the UK. This compares to 1,094 deaths in the 15-year period before that, between 1985 and 1999, and a further 2,211 between 1970 and 1984 so its far safer in the UK now than in previous generations.

The fact that no foreign team has toured Pakistan after the Zimbabwe series in 2015 or after this year's PSL final shows Pakistan still has some way to go in rebuilding confidence in its security.

Your last sentence somewhat made up for the sweeping statements previously that has been a norm by posters a la Pakistan security.

We are speaking of presidential level security, the kind of offered to PSL teams and Zimbabwe ones, 20,000+ paramilitary officials and cameras and bulletproof vehicles and chief of army staff directly being involved and what not.

Heck even Bangladesh's women team in Karachi earlier was given presidential level security, and it was played out as some historic achievement for Pakistan cricket.

The only problem is of perception and confidence, and the accounts of former greats like Greg and Jones would help building more confidence. FICA's issue is also that of confidence. There is too much negative perception of security status in Pakistan, people literally think cricketer will die once in Pakistan. The reality if far from it, and you may not see it from media-influenced narrative that has been fed into you, but security agencies, PCB and the government knows what it is doing by trying to allay fears of international community with regards to how effectively can they organise high-profile matches amid heightened security

 

[kingusama92]

I disagree.

You can't compare those attacks to a complete breakdown of presidential level security for a CRICKET team. What sane cricket team will want to come back?

You couldn't protect them with your best security assets. That says it all. It's going to take a very long time to win anyone's trust and the current climate in PAK won't be doing that.

 

[ExpressPacer]

I absolutely concur with everything that [MENTION=53290]Markhor[/MENTION] has said but here's a little something I'd like to add:

I've lived in Islamabad pretty much all my life and I can guarantee you that we've seen some pretty dark times. Kidnappings of foriegners, the Red Mosque (Laal Masjid) fiasco, bomb blasts, killings, gun violence and what not. Schools were shut down almost every other day and we missed a major part of our curriculum during the 2000's and had to repeat entire grades because of it. Then there were protests, blockages of roads, sit-ins, marches and other violence shown from the public, so all in all, Islamabad, despite being a great city, has seen its fair share of violence.

However, of late, the security situation in Islamabad has been relatively better compared to the rest of Pakistan. One could suggest it is only a matter of time before there is a bombing or attack on some foreigner in Pakistan and while it can happen, I respectfully disagree. As far as Ian Chappel or any other major cricketing celebrity is concerned, they are without a doubt more safe in Islamabad than they would be in London - and I'm not saying this as an ignorant. Hear me out. The have bodyguards, SSG commandos and even escort vehicles circling them at all times, they're staying in one of the safest and best hotels in Pakistan and constantly have a personal assistant at their aid. So, there is no doubt in the fact that they are more safe in Islamabad than they would be in London.

He never said that Islamabad is safer than London, just that they were safer as celebrities in Islamabad than what they would in London. Sort of ironic because they're safer in an unsafe country than a safe country.

 

[Saffer_XIII]

One of the worst statements Chappell has ever made.

That's saying a lot since he suffers from foot to mouth disease