The Australian cricket team – accused by a senior Pakistan Cricket Board official as “a bunch of lily-livered cowards” – is monitoring the security situation in India and is not locked in to the upcoming tour of the sub-continent, skipper Ricky Ponting said.
Cricket Australia (CA) said the tour would go ahead despite recent bombings in New Delhi.
“Anything could happen tomorrow, things change very quickly in the world right at the moment,” Ponting told reporters in Canberra.
“Cricket Australia will continue to be in touch and the government will continue to be in touch and Cricket Australia will keep us players and the players association in the loop on a daily, if not hourly basis.”
He praised the work of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade which has been providing detailed information to CA.
Ponting said no player had yet expressed concerns about going to India.
“As a group we haven’t been together,” he said.
“I’m not sure if Cricket Australia have fielded any calls from individual players or families but that wouldn’t be unusual if that was the case.”
General manager of CA Michael Brown rejected assertions that the tour of India would go ahead because of money or the power Indian cricket’s governing body the BCCI wielded.
He said there were reciprocal obligations with India in terms of tours but security would always be a central issue in determining whether a tour went ahead.
“The only reasons we can’t play and participate is for security reasons and we’ll keep monitoring those as time goes by,” Brown said.
At least five explosions struck a park and crowded shopping areas in New Delhi on Saturday, killing 21 people and wounding about 100 others.
A group calling itself the Indian Mujahideen claimed responsibility for the attacks.
Build your own fantasy cricket team and put it to the test with Draftstars daily fantasy competitions. Pick your match, pick your team and watch the points roll in to take out cash prizes on each match. What are you really gambling with? Set a deposit limit.
With Rajasthan needing 25 off 17, both batsmen ended up at the same end but the bowler dropped the throw from his teammate -…
A six-laden, 27-ball 84 from Jake Fraser-McGurk to continue his outrageous debut IPL!
Johnny Bairstow has hit his way back into form with a 45-ball century as he steered his side to a record-breaking win, easily chasing…
It seems franchise cricket has forgotten about the great battle between bat and ball. In fact, this season in the IPL there is no battle at all.
The mammoth rise of Jake Fraser-McGurk - his enormous potential and the destructive shot-making that he possesses makes him a very tempting option.
Xavier Bartlett has been permission to extend his cricketing education with a spell of T20s in England, playing in the Blast competition for Kent…
