CA to investigate threat claims

Australian cricketers: security concern in India

We will not allow kangaroo cricketers to play in Mumbai and Maharashtra, till the attacks on Indians are stopped. Our boys are being stabbed, burnt and shot at in that country and still our cricketers have no qualms in playing with them. Do they have any national pride?

Balasaheb Thackeray
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Cricket Australia (CA) are looking into threats made against Australian cricketers by a far right political group in India.

The Shiv Sena party has promised to prevent Australians playing cricket in Mumbai as revenge for attacks on Indian students in Australia.

With the third edition of the Indian Premier League scheduled to get under way in March, the timing of the threats is giving CA cause for concern.

"We take them (threats) all seriously and we have a tried and true process that we use with the Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) to check all of these things," CA public affairs general manager Peter Young said.

"We do take them seriously and our policy is safety first - we never go anywhere unless we're sure it's safe."

Young confirmed CA would take advice from the Australian government as well as its own advisers.

"At this stage we're not aware that there is any concern but we do like to be prudent and take a safety-first approach," he added.

Security

Young also revealed that CA would endeavour to ascertain whether security assessments coming out of the region were in line with their own.

"We'll be having a look at this particular issue given the IPL is only six, seven or eight weeks away and we'll be providing the expertise, the advice, that we get to players who are going there," he said.

"At the end of the day those players make their own decision about whether or not they go but we want them to be able to make informed decisions and we'd like to work with the ACA to ensure they can make informed decisions."

CA has yet to have discussions with IPL officials about Australian players not taking up contracts for this year's Twenty20 extravaganza.

Current Australian Test players including Ricky Ponting, Shane Watson, Simon Katich and Mike Hussey are contracted to play in the IPL, along with retired greats Shane Warne, Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden.

Shiv Sena chief Balasaheb Thackeray, 82, wrote in his party publication Saamna: "We will not allow kangaroo cricketers to play in Mumbai and Maharashtra, till the attacks on Indians are stopped.

"Our boys are being stabbed, burnt and shot at in that country and still our cricketers have no qualms in playing with them. Do they have any national pride?"

Shiv Sena have a history of disrupting cricket fixtures after activists dug up the pitch prior to a clash between India and Pakistan in 1999. The surface was repaired and the match went ahead.

They also warned of affecting the game between the same teams in Delhi in 2005.

Debate

The latest warnings will reopen the debate over the hosting of sporting events in India in a year which will see them stage the Commonwealth Games in October.

The Australian Commonwealth Games Association (ACGA) have already expressed concern over the safety of their athletes in New Delhi.

As it stands, the team will compete although reports have suggested they will be accompanied by Australian Federal Police.

Perry Crosswhite from the ACGA said today that meetings will be held every month in the lead up to the games to monitor the security situation.

"At this stage the information that people have is that security is at an acceptable level and the organising committee are working hard on it," he said.

"Certainly at this stage we're going to compete in the games."

Delhi is also due to stage the Hockey World Cup in March in what is being seen as a dress rehearsal for the Commonwealths.

Hockey Australia executive director Mark Anderson admitted the organisation was monitoring the security situation in Delhi "on a daily basis".

"The safety of our athletes, coaches and team officials is our priority and we will be very conservative if there is any risk, but there's no tangible risks at this point," said Anderson earlier this month.