Will Australian cricketers risk their lives for $65,000 in Pakistan?

[SL_Fan]

Australian cricketers and support staff in the Pakistan Super League will have to make a call within days as to whether they are prepared to risk their safety and play in the Twenty20 final in Lahore.

Dean Jones, the coach of Islamabad United, and players Shane Watson and Brad Haddin are among those who could make the trip from Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates - where the PSL has been staged - to the trouble spot that is Pakistan, where terrorist attacks have claimed more than 100 lives in recent weeks. A suicide attack in Lahore killed 13 a fortnight ago.

The Punjab government has endorsed the March 5 final being held in Lahore.

It's understood the Islamabad players and staff have yet to discuss the possible trip with security experts, and won't do so until after Wednesday's semi-final against the Karachi Kings. However, it's understood Haddin and Watson are unlikely to participate in the final should United make it.

Officials are tempting foreign players with special one-off payments of up to $65,000 to participate in the final.

Pakistan Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has reportedly said "fool-proof" security would be provided.

Pakistan great Imran Khan, who heads the main opposition party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf, told local media it was "madness" to stage the final in Lahore.

He took to Twitter on Tuesday and added: "No one wants int cricket to return to Pak more than me. But staging the PSL final in Lahore carries huge risks with no benefit at all.

"And God forbid if any mishap happens we can say goodbye to int cricket in Pak for the next decade

"A match played under a tight security ring around the stadium will exaggerate Pak's security issue."

PSL officials have assembled a list of possible foreign replacement players should the Australians and other non-Pakistan players, including England and Melbourne Stars pair Kevin Pietersen and Luke Wright, and Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, who were on the Sri Lankan team bus when it was attacked in Lahore in 2009, not make the trip.

Travel advice from Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade urges Australians "to reconsider your need to travel to Pakistan due to the unpredictable security situation, including the high threat of terrorist attack, kidnapping and sectarian violence".

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[Varun]

I would think the likes of Gayle and West Indians will accept.

Not the Australians so much.

 

[Slog]

The whole purpose of holding the PSL Final in Lahore has been negated already due to the bad press

 

[Hawkeye]

What kind of a rubbish article?

First - players lives won't be at risk. They will be provided the kind of security no one can get close to them. If any unfortunate incident was to happen, it'll happen way outside the stadium. General public/security folks are at risk!

Also, Dean Jones has SEVERAL TIMES traveled to Pak already!!! He has even participated in several TV talk shows there!

Height of bigotry in this article.

 

[sensible-indian-fan]

The whole purpose of holding the PSL Final in Lahore has been negated already due to the bad press

1+1 is not equal to 2 when it comes to PCB.

 

[Hitman]

What kind of a rubbish article?

First - players lives won't be at risk. They will be provided the kind of security no one can get close to them. If any unfortunate incident was to happen, it'll happen way outside the stadium. General public/security folks are at risk!

Also, Dean Jones has SEVERAL TIMES traveled to Pak already!!! He has even participated in several TV talk shows there!

Height of bigotry in this article.

The exact same thing was promised to the Sri Lankan team back in 2009. In other words, presidential level security.

 

[Pakpak]

The exact same thing was promised to the Sri Lankan team back in 2009. In other words, presidential level security.

And which was never carried out. The security now will consist of:

-complete shutdown of everything near the ground
-only authorised individuals who have been vetted will be allowed to meet any players
-all people entering the ground will be vetted and tracked by their CNIC numbers
-curfew 2 days before the game on all roads leading to in and around Gadafi
-3000 armed commandos,police on standby

Hence no point mentioning Sri Lanka again and again, there is no way any team now will be given 6 police motorbikes and one bus like the Lankans were given. Noone is stupid enough to risk that again. No chance and I say this as someone who despises the current government and Sethi.

 

[Hitman]

And which was never carried out. The security now will consist of:

-complete shutdown of everything near the ground
-only authorised individuals who have been vetted will be allowed to meet any players
-all people entering the ground will be vetted and tracked by their CNIC numbers
-curfew 2 days before the game on all roads leading to in and around Gadafi
-3000 armed commandos,police on standby

Hence no point mentioning Sri Lanka again and again, there is no way any team now will be given 6 police motorbikes and one bus like the Lankans were given. Noone is stupid enough to risk that again. No chance.

When you give your word once and fail miserably at it, obviously the rest of the world will never trust you. Have I said anything false? Just look at what Chris Broad said back then, that they were left for sitting ducks by the security.

 

[Pakpak]

As for OP, Symonds, Rhodes, Jones, Gibbs etc all have traveled to Pakistan literally in the last year as well.

 

[Pakpak]

When you give your word once and fail miserably at it, obviously the rest of the world will never trust you. Have I said anything false? Just look at what Chris Broad said back then, that they were left for sitting ducks by the security.

Your first line obviously is true. But trying to insinuate that any security now will even be as crap as Sri Lankas' is just trolling. And anyone who believes any team will be given 6 policeman as their entire security team is being stupid.

 

[Hitman]

Your first line obviously is true. But trying to insinuate that any security now will even be as crap as Sri Lankas' is just trolling. And anyone who believes any team will be given 6 policeman as their entire security team is being stupid.

Weren't the Sri Lankan team promised presidential level security?

 

[Pakpak]

Weren't the Sri Lankan team promised presidential level security?

I literally answered this post above.

 

[Zohaib Shah]

Your first line obviously is true. But trying to insinuate that any security now will even be as crap as Sri Lankas' is just trolling. And anyone who believes any team will be given 6 policeman as their entire security team is being stupid.

So if a bomb goes off will it still be safe to travel to Pakistan?

 

[Hitman]

I literally answered this post above.

What did you answer? You said about the security arrangements. But the same was promised earlier as well (presidential level security), and look what happened.

 

[Pakpak]

So if a bomb goes off will it still be safe to travel to Pakistan?

The final should not be happening in Lahore, but now that it is there is no point bleating about Sri Lanka from 2009 again and again. Noone is thick enough to make those mistakes again.

 

[Pakpak]

What did you answer? You said about the security arrangements. But the same was promised earlier as well (presidential level security), and look what happened.

And people got killed. If you believe PCB and PG will risk sending in 6 policeman as the sum of their security detail and risk another Sri Lanka event happening and hence risking a complete ban on our home cricket then good for you.

 

[Zohaib Shah]

The final should not be happening in Lahore, but now that it is there is no point bleating about Sri Lanka from 2009 again and again. Noone is thick enough to make those mistakes again.

No matter how it goes. This match won't convince the foreigners that Pakistan is safe. If you need this much security to enter a country you know there are problems.

 

[Pakpak]

No matter how it goes. This match won't convince the foreigners that Pakistan is safe. If you need this much security to enter a country you know there are problems.

All true.

 

[Hawkeye]

Weren't the Sri Lankan team promised presidential level security?

Dean Jones, Damien Martyn, McGrath, Gibbs, many others -- none were promised presidential level security. Or any security.

They all have been regularly visiting Pak. Nothing happening.

What's your point? You're trolling about one security lapse where the nobody was on high alert as everyone is in 2017.

 

[mhraja]

Weren't the Sri Lankan team promised presidential level security?

No, they were not.

 

[IMMY69]

Dean Jones, Damien Martyn, McGrath, Gibbs, many others -- none were promised presidential level security. Or any security.

They all have been regularly visiting Pak. Nothing happening.

What's your point? You're trolling about one security lapse where the nobody was on high alert as everyone is in 2017.

The fact that so many people were not even aware of their visit tells you how low profile it was.

Here we have a situation where terrorist attacks have escalated over the last few weeks and we have a massively high profile game..

Then you have to weigh up the pros and cons of having such a match in Lahore.
The pros are....?!?! Nothing as far as I can see..

The cons are many.

 

[soso_killer]

But why offer players more money when the issue is not monetary but safety and security?

 

[Runner Up]

Should have arranged in Islamabad.

 

[mhraja]

After the first blast, the wise decision would have been to arrange it in Dubai or Sharjah.

 

[IMMY69]

But why offer players more money when the issue is not monetary but safety and security?

Now that's a very good point!!!

Danger money when there is supposedly none

 

[Varun]

But why offer players more money when the issue is not monetary but safety and security?

For what it's worth - I recall the PCB offering Life Insurance to the players of any team who were willing to tour Pakistan a few years ago.

Obviously fell through.

 

[Cricfan4eva]

And which was never carried out. The security now will consist of:

-complete shutdown of everything near the ground
-only authorised individuals who have been vetted will be allowed to meet any players
-all people entering the ground will be vetted and tracked by their CNIC numbers
-curfew 2 days before the game on all roads leading to in and around Gadafi
-3000 armed commandos,police on standby

Hence no point mentioning Sri Lanka again and again, there is no way any team now will be given 6 police motorbikes and one bus like the Lankans were given. Noone is stupid enough to risk that again. No chance and I say this as someone who despises the current government and Sethi.

Lockdown an entire city to host a t20 game, I am sure that will send an impressive message to teams across the world.

lol man, just read what you've written. When you have to resort to such lengths and there is still doubt over whether or not players will make it out alive, best not to push it.

Tbh whether or not you hold PSL final in Lahore now, damage has been done. I don't think all these blasts would have got such an extensive coverage in cricketing world had PCB not made such a hullabaloo about hosting final in Lahore.

 

[Pakpak]

Lockdown an entire city to host a t20 game, I am sure that will send an impressive message to teams across the world.

lol man, just read what you've written. When you have to resort to such lengths and there is still doubt over whether or not players will make it out alive, best not to push it.

Tbh whether or not you hold PSL final in Lahore now, damage has been done. I don't think all these blasts would have got such an extensive coverage in cricketing world had PCB not made such a hullabaloo about hosting final in Lahore.

I have said a lot of times before that I am against the final in Lahore. But now that it is happening in Pakistan....though again, I am not sure Indians would want cricket back in Pakistan.

 

[Yaasir]

The Sri Lankans were never offered presidential level security. Before that attack, such a thing was unimaginable. Thus, Ijaz Butt, the buffoon, took it easy and gave the Sri Lankan team an absolutely pathetic security protocol.

The Zimbabwe team that toured Lahore a few years back was promised presidental level security and it was given to them.