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| Sunday, 8 September 2002 |
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Legacy of September 11 continues to haunt sport by TONY LAWRENCE LONDON, Sept 7 (Reuters) - One year on from the events of September 11 and cricket remains mired in the problems left behind by the tragedy. Arguably, no other sport has been so badly affected. At first sight, last year's attacks on the twin towers of the World Trade Center might not have seemed to have anything to do with the sport. But Pakistan's position, on both the world and cricketing maps, rapidly changed that perception. Cricket had only just overhauled its international fixture lists, introducing the concept of a world league table based on home and away matches for the first time, when the attacks on New York and Washington took place. That 10-team league table, launched four months earlier, was immediately thrown into chaos as Pakistan, with its close ties to Afghanistan, suddenly became a much less appealing destination to the rest of the world's players. New Zealand opted out of a three-Test tour there a month after the attacks - when they did finally agree to tour in May, a bombing outside their Karachi hotel led to the trip's premature end - before Sri Lanka decided against taking part in a one-day tournament. The West Indies, citing September 11 and concerns about tensions over disputed Kashmir, then refused to travel. Their series was subsequently switched to Sharjah at the start of 2002. Australia were the next to say no. A one-day series was switched from Pakistan to Kenya at the end of August and their forthcoming three-Test meeting, due to start in October, has been split between Colombo and Sharjah. Australia batsman Mark Waugh said: "It's not ideal but at least we're playing cricket. In a perfect world we'd be playing in Pakistan but realistically the venue is not a safe option at the moment." Pakistan's cricket administrators have grown increasingly frustrated by their isolation, as well as by the loss of potential revenue from their home fixtures. There have even been suggestions, probably made in the heat of the moment, of a tit-for-tat Pakistan boycott which would cause further chaos to the cricketing calendar. The International Cricket Council (ICC), however, accused in the past of providing less than inspired leadership, has worked quickly to try to lessen the problems, placating both Pakistan - even though no compensation package has been drawn up - and the players while looking to switch series to alternative venues. ICC spokesman Mark Harrison said: "The Pakistan Cricket Board have worked very hard in conjunction with the ICC to reassure visiting teams that they have put the appropriate security in place to ensure their safety. "Teams must be comfortable in order to play at their best. This is an ongoing issue. The current reluctance of such teams as West Indies and Australia to visit Pakistan has had an impact on the international fixture list but all parties involved are in close contact to find a solution. "The ICC is confident these difficulties can be overcome. "The use of neutral venues such as Sharjah and Tangiers are helping to deal with the problems in the shorter term." The development of Tangiers as an international venue, incidentally, has had the additional positive spin-off of introducing the game to north Africa. In truth, though, cricket has had to face problems of unwilling tourists and poisoned relationships for many years. India's and Pakistan's continuing dispute over Kashmir has led to the Indian government restricting matches with its neighbour - they have not played a Test since 1999 - and is causing the ICC perhaps their biggest headache of all. The financial losses to both national cricket boards have been immense, with the game more popular and potentially more lucrative in Asia than anywhere else in the world. Australia's players also refused to travel to Zimbabwe in March because of fears of political violence there. It was only six years ago that Australia and West Indies forfeited World Cup matches in Sri Lanka after a major bombing in Colombo blamed on the separatist Tamil Tigers. Only five years before that, South Africa was still in the international wilderness over apartheid. The last year, however, has presented a string of major challenges compressed into a short time span, according to ICC president Malcolm Gray. "This year has seen events beyond our control impact on the game," he said. "We must make sure series take place by being flexible with dates, times and venues. If we can do that it would be a major achievement for the ICC." |
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