News APP

NewsApp (Free)

Read news as it happens
Download NewsApp

Available on  gplay

Rediff.com  » Sports » Australia defends decision to tour India

Australia defends decision to tour India

Source: PTI
July 29, 2008 14:52 IST
Get Rediff News in your Inbox:

Blasts in India do not trigger the kind of security concerns that they do in Pakistan's case, says Cricket Australia while insisting that it cannot be accused of hypocrisy if it opts to play in India but refuses to tour Pakistan for the Champions Trophy.

Australia tour India in October and would be carrying out a security inspection in the country next month to assess the situation.

CA spokesman Peter Young said it is a routine exercise and cited the example of the 2005 London bombings after which the Aussies did a security check before deciding to stay back to complete the Ashes series.

"We only go where security advice tells us is safe. The same question was asked about the London bombings during the '05 Ashes tour when we did not go to Pakistan in March," CA's general manager of public affairs Peter Young was quoted as saying by The Australian newspaper.

"As far as London was concerned we kept the team out of there until security advice was emphatic that it was safe. We go through the same process every tour. It's as simple as that," he added.

Besides the national team, two Australian domestic teams -- Victoria and Western Australia -- are also scheduled to tour India for the inaugural Twenty20 Champions League.

Victoria coach Greg Shipperd, who also coached the Delhi Daredevils during the Indian Premier League, hopes that the situation would improve.

"It's not something that I've discussed with Cricket Victoria or our team at this stage. Obviously if there was an escalation we'd change our view but at this stage we intend to compete in the tournament," he said.

Western Australia coach Tom Moody, who coached Mohali in the IPL, echoed the view.

"We'll follow similar guidelines to Cricket Australia. Pakistan has a longer history of incidents than most other places," he said.

Meanwhile, Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) chief executive Paul Marsh said the weekend bombings in Bangalore and Ahmedabad are a concern but "ACA would continue to go through the security processes with Cricket Australia, as we always do."

Get Rediff News in your Inbox:
Source: PTI© Copyright 2024 PTI. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of PTI content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent.

INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE 2024

INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE 2024