Cricket

[keeninterest]

and all these victories of india have been without a coach. wonder what is Garry Kirsten is going to do.

 

[roadrunner]

For once I am all for kicking Aussie NOSE UP THEIR B**TS. It will be poetic justice for not visiting Pakistan. I think more than security they are scared to loose.

Regards

Mr Neutrality himself.

 

[mujahideen]

PCB concerned about long-term implications

Pakistan bracing for Australia pull-out

Cricinfo staff

March 7, 2008

Pakistan are concerned there will be long-term implications if, as expected, Australia pull out of their scheduled tour there due to security issues. It has become increasingly unlikely the series will go ahead in Pakistan but Shafqat Naghmi, the PCB's chief operating officer, has continued to rule out playing the games outside the country.

"Neutral venues are a dangerous option in terms of not benefiting the cricket of both the playing countries as there will not be a crowd from both the countries and such series are played for the sake of viewers of TV," Naghmi said in the Australian. "If we accept it [playing at neutral venues] then in future there will be no end to this practice and it can ruin cricket around the world.

"A cricket series not only involves two playing teams but also millions of fans from both sides. There are always huge crowds to witness such encounters and cricket series are not just for the sake of cricket's television viewers."

Naghmi was also confident that if the ICC was asked to assess safety in Pakistan it would find no reason teams should not tour. "All the countries have agreed to come here," Naghmi told the Age. "If it comes to that it would be nine countries versus one in the sense that other countries have been happy to tour Pakistan. It is only Australia that hasn't come here for many, many years now."

Cricket Australia was briefed by the Australian government this week following bomb blasts in Lahore on Tuesday. Australia's players are reluctant to play in Pakistan and the Australian Cricketers' Association will not send a representative with a pre-tour security delegation. Naghmi said Pakistan were ready for Australia to pull out, although they hoped that would not happen.

"If they think they cannot tour we will think about the steps to follow at that stage," he said. "We are bracing ourselves for all decisions. The worst is that they will not come. We will be disappointed, obviously."

© Cricinfo

 

[Energon]

Australia have decided to "postpone" the Pak tour to possibly 2009 or 2010. In the meanwhile the PCB has decided to schedule a series with Bangladesh.

How much interest would another tour with Bangladesh really garner? Perhaps the PCB should reconsider playing a shorter series at neutral venues. Scheduling matches in India and the UAE might help. This might also enable some players to fit in a few IPL matches.

 

[Always Neutral]

Mr Neutrality himself.

Care to enlighten me what your comments meant ?

 

[salman nedian]

There should be some punishment for Cricket Australia. What can PCB do and what is being done in this regard?

 

[su-47]

after the attack on lahore yesterday, the concerns of the CA seem genuine. A cricket stadium is a very attractive target for the terrorists, and Australian players will genuinely be concernred for their safet. its only human to be scared.

 

[salman nedian]

Past record shows that the stadiums in Pakistan never came under attacks, When World Trade Centre and London are not safe than they have no right to point Pakistan particularly.

 

[Bushroda]

Australia have decided to "postpone" the Pak tour to possibly 2009 or 2010. In the meanwhile the PCB has decided to schedule a series with Bangladesh.

In some way, it seems to me that PCB officials are themselves relieved of Australians not coming.

How much interest would another tour with Bangladesh really garner? Perhaps the PCB should reconsider playing a shorter series at neutral venues. Scheduling matches in India and the UAE might help. This might also enable some players to fit in a few IPL matches.

Cricket in Subcontinent always generates interest even if match is between two unknown club teams. But, a Bangladesh tour would still be profitable for PCB than playing Australia on neutral venue. For any series on neutral venue, the broadcasting rights would be with cricket board of the host country.

 

[JDhere]

There should be some punishment for Cricket Australia. What can PCB do and what is being done in this regard?

shame that.
come to aus or new zealand and play.
the priority is to play cricket.
as an aussie i enjoy aus verses pakistan and india
they are always great matches

 

[Spring Onion]

shame that.
come to aus or new zealand and play.
the priority is to play cricket.

Yes but only if Aussis pay the damages PCB has to face due to posponment or even playing the home series at any other venu.

 

[solid snake]

This is not good, but hardly unexpected.

 

[Energon]

Yes but only if Aussis pay the damages PCB has to face due to posponment or even playing the home series at any other venu.

The PCB has refused to schedule matches at a neutral venue. They would much rather play a one sided series against minnows like Bangladesh or Zimbabwe at home rather than a more competitive series at a different location. I don't really see the point to this. I have to disagree with Bushroda's statement:

Cricket in Subcontinent always generates interest even if match is between two unknown club teams. But, a Bangladesh tour would still be profitable for PCB than playing Australia on neutral venue. For any series on neutral venue, the broadcasting rights would be with cricket board of the host country.

This isn't true. Local cricket in the subcontinent has always suffered a great deal. Perhaps the IPL will change this, but the Ranji and other 1st class/ state level championships have abysmal showings; the equivalent local scene in Sri Lanka and Pakistan is far worse. If Pakistan continues to host minnows, they will more than likely keep losing money. Imran Khan too recently voiced the same concern:

Imran said Pakistan had come to a point where they could only host weaker opposition like Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. "Pakistan will also lose revenue by not hosting a high-profile series."

IMO the PCB has to consider organizing tournaments in other countries. India and the UAE are probably the best locations. Since there is so much cricket going on in India itself, the Pakistani networks should have no problem getting televising rights. If the team does not play competitive cricket, more players are going to leave the national side for greener pastures in India or the Counties which will be even more devastating for Pakistan cricket. Also with the U-19 teams getting so much coverage, IPL/ICL teams might start courting those players before they even make it to the national side further weakening the talent pool. This is unacceptable. The sanctity of international cricket has to be maintained by ensuring the highest level of competitive cricket series' among top tier teams like Pakistan.

 

[mujahideen]

Echoes of Woolmer's death in 'Jannat'

MUMBAI (Reuters) - A new Bollywood film about match fixing in cricket depicts a coach found dead under mysterious circumstances during a tournament -- mirroring the death of Bob Woolmer at the cricket World Cup in 2007.

"Jannat", a fictional take on the grey areas of the game, is primarily the story of a bookie but director Kunal Deshmukh said the death of the Pakistan cricket coach did have its echoes in the film.

"The story of the man becoming a match fixer is fictional but the incident of a coach's death is certainly inspired from Woolmer's death," Deshmukh told Reuters on Wednesday.

Woolmer, 58, was found dead on March 18, 2007 - a day after Pakistan were eliminated from the World Cup in Jamaica following an upset loss to Ireland.

He was found unconscious in his hotel room and pronounced dead in hospital. Speculation about his death had included suggestions he had uncovered a match-fixing scandal - but Deshmukh said the film was not an attempt to solve the mystery.

"The film is not about Bob Woolmer and we are definitely not hinting at what happened to him, who all killed him and who were behind the tragedy," he said.

"Jannat" is slated to open in cinemas on May 2.

© Reuters 2008 All rights reserved

 

[su-47]

i was watching sehwag's performance against SA in a re-run of the highlights, and i have to say, i think it was the best individual batting performance ever in a test match. it was almost flawless, and he scored over a run-a-ball in a test match, which in itself is a feat. but to do so over the course of over 300 runs is phenominal. what do you guys think?