'Ill-conceived' U.S.-Afghan Campaign Costing Pakistan: Cricket Champ
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Howard declaring the decision to cancel participation in the Cricket tour in Pakistan |
ISLAMABAD,
Aug 9 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Former Pakistan captain
Imran Khan, turned politician, Friday, August, 9, 2002, strongly
criticized the United States, saying its 'ill-conceived' campaign in
Afghanistan was costing Pakistan dearly, news agencies reported.
"Since
joining the (anti-terror) coalition, Pakistan's suffering has
increased... America's ill-conceived campaign in Afghanistan has cost
us dearly and cricket is hit worst," Khan, who now heads the
Movement for Justice political party, told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Khan
was reacting to the Australian Cricket Board's (ACB) decision to pull
out of October's Test tour of Pakistan amid security fears.
"Foreign
exports and foreign investments stopped last year and now no foreign
team is prepared to tour Pakistan which could cause bankruptcy for
Pakistan's cricket," he said.
"A
country earns through a home series from TV rights, and if series
after series are shifted, Pakistan cricket will be financially
devastated."
Two
bomb attacks in the southern port city of Karachi in May and June and
two attacks on Christian targets this week prompted the ACB to decide
against the October tour.
The
first suicide attack in Karachi on May 8 which killed 11 French naval
engineers occurred outside the New Zealand team's hotel, prompting
them to cut short their Pakistan tour.
"Australia's
concerns are genuine and we should understand them and chose a neutral
venue where proper funds could be generated," Khan said.
He
urged the world cricket governing body, the International Cricket
Council (ICC), to help Pakistan through its current crisis.
"It's
in the interest of cricket for the ICC and other countries to help
Pakistan, because it's not a good omen if Pakistan cricket suffers due
to declining finances," he said.
Pakistan
suffered losses of around 20 to 25 million U.S. dollars since last
year's September 11 terror attacks in New York and Washington.
New
Zealand also postponed its tour of Pakistan in September last year,
Sri Lanka refused to replace them in November 2001 and Pakistan was
forced to play its home series against the West Indies at a neutral
venue in Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates in February and March
this year.
Earlier
Friday, the ACB cancelled a scheduled tour of strife-torn Pakistan
because of fears about the team's safety, a move that coincided with
another deadly attack against Western missions.
After
weeks of uncertainty over whether the world champion Australian team
would go to Pakistan in October, the ACB officially announced it was
canceling the three-Test tour on advice from government agencies.
ACB chairman Bob Merriman said the advice clearly identified an
increasing security risk for the Australian team in Pakistan.
"Following
our most recent information from the Department of Foreign Affairs and
Trade and the Australian High Commissioner in Pakistan, the board has
decided that, regrettably, traveling to Pakistan would compromise the
safety of our players and officials," Merriman said at a news
conference in Melbourne, AFP reported.
Merriman
said the ACB informed Pakistan Cricket Board President Lieutenant
General Tauqir Zia of its decision and offered to play the series as
scheduled in October at an alternate venue.
A
three-match Test series had been scheduled between October 1 and 24
which marks the 50th anniversary of Pakistan's entry into
international Test cricket.
Merriman
said the disruptions to world cricket were reaching crisis point.
"I
think it really is a significant deterioration in world cricket
because this is now the third tour that's been cancelled,"
Merriman said.
"It
certainly creates real difficulties for the cricketing nations of the
world."
Australian
Prime Minister John Howard, a cricket enthusiast, said the decision to
abandon the tour over security fears was "regrettable" but
necessary.
Howard
said he told Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf of the decision
before it was announced by the ACB, adding that he hoped the tour
could be rescheduled "in the not too distant future".
"It's
difficult there and the situation is complicated by the fact that
Pakistan has taken a very strong stand in the war against
terrorism," Howard said Friday.
"They
will understand in the end the board's responsibility is for the
safety of the players and I don't think particularly in the light of
recent events, they had any alternative other than to take the
decision they have."
The
Pakistan Cricket Board however revived threats to boycott Australia
over the cancellation.
"We
are deeply disappointed and feel that it's a decision enforced on the
Australian board by their government, foreign office and High
Commission (embassy) in Pakistan," Zia told reporters Friday.
"Now
we will consider all our options including a boycott."
Pakistan
shifted its tri-series, marking its Golden Jubilee of Test cricket, to
Nairobi, Kenya.
Merriman
said the risks to the players and officials were unacceptable and the
team had been informed of the decision Friday.
In
Perth, Australian Test vice captain Adam Gilchrist admitted some
relief about the decision.
But
the star wicketkeeper-batsman also said it was frustrating the ACB was
forced to bail out of a tour for the second time in six months because
of safety fears.
"I
am a little bit disappointed from a cricket point of view, but a
little bit relieved about not being put in potentially dangerous
situations," he said.
"The
ACB's contacts obviously deemed it a little bit dangerous, and
probably couldn't guarantee security."
ACB
chief executive James Sutherland said it was now up to Pakistan to
come up with an alternative venue, but ruled out hosting the
three-Test series in Australia.
"We
did explore that and really it came down to programming issues ... we
wouldn't be able to fulfill our commitments to sponsors and media
rights holders and the (International Cricket Council's) 10-year
program," Sutherland said.
"It's
Pakistan's tour. They own, effectively, all of the rights associated
with the tour. No doubt they'll consult with us along the way."
Sutherland
said Australia's crowded program made it impossible to reschedule the
tour.
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