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Pakistan match-fixing claims: South African players concerned about upcoming series
South Africa's cricketers have such deep reservations about playing against Pakistan in their scheduled series in Abu Dhabi and Dubai next month that several senior players are considering whether to make themselves unavailable for selection.
The Proteas are due to play five ODIs and three test matches as well as a brace of T20s, the second of which was agreed to by Cricket South Africa to help with flood relief in the stricken nation.
"To say we are reluctant is an understatement," one senior player told Telegraph Sport. "Nobody knows what the hell is going in Pakistani cricket and we feel that playing such a high profile series right now - especially in the middle east - is asking for trouble.
"Maybe it's time for the ICC to step in, or for Pakistan to withdraw from the international game for a year until the mess can be cleaned up and people can start to believe in the game and develop a bit of trust," the player said.
The SA Cricketers Association chief executive, Tony Irish, admitted that "many players" had expressed their concerns to him about the tour but was, for the moment, stoically maintaining a diplomatic stance.
"The fact that there are now further incidents under investigation is not good news. This all needs to be dealt with urgently in order to ensure that a heavy cloud of suspicion and doubt doesn't hang over our series against Pakistan," Irish said.
Asked whether he was aware that some senior players were extremely reluctant to participate in the tour, Irish said: "Let's hope it doesn't come to that."
Pakistan's 'withdrawal' from international cricket may, of course, happen involuntarily anyway. With the ECB having ruled itself out of acting as a 'home' venue in the immediate future and the UAE financially unsustainable, the PCB is rapidly running out of options - not to mention willing opponents.
Last week Zimbabwe was even considering offering Harare and Bulawayo as venues for Pakistan to stage 'home' games with ZC cricket committee chairman and former national captain Alistair Campbell suggesting that staging international cricket in the country before the country's scheduled return to test cricket in May next year was "a good idea."
Zimbabwe is still scheduled to tour Pakistan for a five-match series of one-dayers to raise money for flood relief in January.
After Saturday's allegations concerning the third one-dayer at The Oval, however, he was forced to admit that even Zimbabwe Cricket, as desperate as it is to shed its pariah status and reacquaint itself with all of the major cricket playing nations, was being forced to "think again" about its offer.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cr...n-players-concerned-about-upcoming-series.htm
Proteas not keen to play Pakistan
'To say we're reluctant is an understatement'
Sep 20, 2010 12:34 AM |
Along with the weekend's new allegations of corruption against Pakistan's cricketers, it also emerged that some senior South African players are considering a boycott against them next month.
'Playing such a high-profile series is asking for trouble'
A report in the London Daily Telegraph on Saturday, written by Cape Town-based cricket journalist Neil Manthorp, said the South African players were considering whether to make themselves available for selection in next month's series against Pakistan.
Manthorp, who helped write South African captain Graeme Smith's biography, has close ties with senior players in the Proteas squad. He did not name anyone in his report, but quoted a senior player as saying: "To say we are reluctant [to play Pakistan] is an understatement."
South Africa are due to meet Pakistan in three Tests as well as seven limited-overs internationals in Abu Dhabi and Dubai over the next two months.
Pakistan have been forced to play at neutral venues after their country was prevented from hosting visiting teams amid violence there.
The anonymous player told Manthorp: "Nobody knows what is going in Pakistani cricket and we feel that playing such a high-profile series right now - especially in the Middle East - is asking for trouble.
"Maybe it's time for the International Cricket Council to step in, or for Pakistan to withdraw from the international game . until the mess can be cleaned up and people can start to believe in the game and develop a bit of trust."
SA Cricketers Association CEO Tony Irish told the Telegraph that "many players" had expressed their concerns to him about the tour.
"The fact that there are now further incidents under investigation is not good news. This all needs to be dealt with urgently in order to ensure that a heavy cloud of suspicion and doubt doesn't hang over our series against Pakistan," he said.
Irish also said that he hoped a withdrawal from the tour by players could be prevented.
The new allegations against the Pakistan team were made after a suspicious scoring pattern in the third one-day international against India at the Oval in London.
The ICC said it had started an investigation into a "certain scoring pattern" that emerged during Pakistan's victory in the match on Friday.
It followed a report by The Sun newspaper, which claimed to have been made aware of details of Pakistan's innings before the match had got under way.
The paper tipped off cricket authorities, who then watched as the scoring patterns in two suspect overs emerged as predicted, The Sun report said. The overall result of the match was not believed to be fixed, the report added.
ICC CEO Haroon Lorgat said the new allegations - which follow the suspension of three Pakistan players for alleged involvement in "spot-fixing" - warranted further investigation.
The Pakistan Cricket Board reacted angrily to the allegations, dismissing The Sun report as "sensationalism".
The investigation follows allegations of deliberate no-balls bowled in the Lord's test match. Pakistan skipper Salman Butt along with bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif were questioned by police before being sent home. - Sapa-AFP and sports staff
South Africa's cricketers have such deep reservations about playing against Pakistan in their scheduled series in Abu Dhabi and Dubai next month that several senior players are considering whether to make themselves unavailable for selection.
The Proteas are due to play five ODIs and three test matches as well as a brace of T20s, the second of which was agreed to by Cricket South Africa to help with flood relief in the stricken nation.
"To say we are reluctant is an understatement," one senior player told Telegraph Sport. "Nobody knows what the hell is going in Pakistani cricket and we feel that playing such a high profile series right now - especially in the middle east - is asking for trouble.
"Maybe it's time for the ICC to step in, or for Pakistan to withdraw from the international game for a year until the mess can be cleaned up and people can start to believe in the game and develop a bit of trust," the player said.
The SA Cricketers Association chief executive, Tony Irish, admitted that "many players" had expressed their concerns to him about the tour but was, for the moment, stoically maintaining a diplomatic stance.
"The fact that there are now further incidents under investigation is not good news. This all needs to be dealt with urgently in order to ensure that a heavy cloud of suspicion and doubt doesn't hang over our series against Pakistan," Irish said.
Asked whether he was aware that some senior players were extremely reluctant to participate in the tour, Irish said: "Let's hope it doesn't come to that."
Pakistan's 'withdrawal' from international cricket may, of course, happen involuntarily anyway. With the ECB having ruled itself out of acting as a 'home' venue in the immediate future and the UAE financially unsustainable, the PCB is rapidly running out of options - not to mention willing opponents.
Last week Zimbabwe was even considering offering Harare and Bulawayo as venues for Pakistan to stage 'home' games with ZC cricket committee chairman and former national captain Alistair Campbell suggesting that staging international cricket in the country before the country's scheduled return to test cricket in May next year was "a good idea."
Zimbabwe is still scheduled to tour Pakistan for a five-match series of one-dayers to raise money for flood relief in January.
After Saturday's allegations concerning the third one-dayer at The Oval, however, he was forced to admit that even Zimbabwe Cricket, as desperate as it is to shed its pariah status and reacquaint itself with all of the major cricket playing nations, was being forced to "think again" about its offer.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cr...n-players-concerned-about-upcoming-series.htm
Proteas not keen to play Pakistan
'To say we're reluctant is an understatement'
Sep 20, 2010 12:34 AM |
Along with the weekend's new allegations of corruption against Pakistan's cricketers, it also emerged that some senior South African players are considering a boycott against them next month.
'Playing such a high-profile series is asking for trouble'
A report in the London Daily Telegraph on Saturday, written by Cape Town-based cricket journalist Neil Manthorp, said the South African players were considering whether to make themselves available for selection in next month's series against Pakistan.
Manthorp, who helped write South African captain Graeme Smith's biography, has close ties with senior players in the Proteas squad. He did not name anyone in his report, but quoted a senior player as saying: "To say we are reluctant [to play Pakistan] is an understatement."
South Africa are due to meet Pakistan in three Tests as well as seven limited-overs internationals in Abu Dhabi and Dubai over the next two months.
Pakistan have been forced to play at neutral venues after their country was prevented from hosting visiting teams amid violence there.
The anonymous player told Manthorp: "Nobody knows what is going in Pakistani cricket and we feel that playing such a high-profile series right now - especially in the Middle East - is asking for trouble.
"Maybe it's time for the International Cricket Council to step in, or for Pakistan to withdraw from the international game . until the mess can be cleaned up and people can start to believe in the game and develop a bit of trust."
SA Cricketers Association CEO Tony Irish told the Telegraph that "many players" had expressed their concerns to him about the tour.
"The fact that there are now further incidents under investigation is not good news. This all needs to be dealt with urgently in order to ensure that a heavy cloud of suspicion and doubt doesn't hang over our series against Pakistan," he said.
Irish also said that he hoped a withdrawal from the tour by players could be prevented.
The new allegations against the Pakistan team were made after a suspicious scoring pattern in the third one-day international against India at the Oval in London.
The ICC said it had started an investigation into a "certain scoring pattern" that emerged during Pakistan's victory in the match on Friday.
It followed a report by The Sun newspaper, which claimed to have been made aware of details of Pakistan's innings before the match had got under way.
The paper tipped off cricket authorities, who then watched as the scoring patterns in two suspect overs emerged as predicted, The Sun report said. The overall result of the match was not believed to be fixed, the report added.
ICC CEO Haroon Lorgat said the new allegations - which follow the suspension of three Pakistan players for alleged involvement in "spot-fixing" - warranted further investigation.
The Pakistan Cricket Board reacted angrily to the allegations, dismissing The Sun report as "sensationalism".
The investigation follows allegations of deliberate no-balls bowled in the Lord's test match. Pakistan skipper Salman Butt along with bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif were questioned by police before being sent home. - Sapa-AFP and sports staff
