A shortened cricket tour of Pakistan by the South African cricket team will go ahead, Cricket SA (Pty) Ltd announced on Tuesday. The board met to discuss the revised schedule for the tour, which was submitted by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
The board decided to go ahead with the tour after the removal of Karachi and Peshawar from the revised tour schedule, the shortening of the tour’s duration, and having heard the views of the South African Police Service on the issue.
But the resolution to proceed with the tour is still subject to the board remaining satisfied with both the security plan and its implementation by the Pakistani authorities at locations where the members of the national squad will be present.
The decision is also subject to ongoing monitoring of the security situation in Pakistan, and the right to reverse the decision should the level of risk in that country deteriorate to an unacceptable level. The decision is also conditional upon the board concluding another agreement with the Pakistan Cricket Board.
”The board has at all times been committed to making every effort to ensure the tour could go ahead, with the safety and security of the national squad as our primary concern,” said Majola.
”The tour is important to both Pakistan and to South African cricket and we are sympathetic with the disappointment expressed in Pakistan when the team’s departure for Karachi on Sunday had to be called off following a bomb in that city on Friday.
”We appreciate the PCB’s compromise on an abbreviated tour, and that compromise is indicative of the continuing good relationships between our two boards,” Majola added.
He said the members of the national squad have been informed of the decision via captain Graeme Smith and coach Eric Simons. A member of the board will travel with the team at all times during the tour.
South African captain Graeme Smith reiterated that the only concern of Cricket SA (Pty) Ltd was the safety of the players. ”We want to play cricket but we don’t want to play it in a war zone. However, the United Cricket Board has assured us that we will be safe and we have to put our trust in them. I am sure there will be a lot of security wherever we go.”
He added that from his point of view the team just wanted to go out there and play cricket. ”After all our salaries are made up of match fees and obviously we want to play as much cricket as possible. We are a young side and we need a lot of international exposure. We know that it’s going to be very tough and very different to what we experienced in England.”
Earlier today, Pakistan Cricket Board chief executive Ramiz Raja had voiced hope that South Africa would reschedule the tour.
”They had misconceptions about Friday’s blast that it was a car bomb and after talking to our security officials, they got the clear picture that the blast was not linked to terrorism,” said Raja.
Pakistan Cricket Board chairperson Tauqir Zia on Monday threatened to take the matter to the International Cricket Council (ICC) dispute committee if the matter was not resolved and a rescheduled tour did not materialise.
A three-member United Cricket Board delegation visited the two venues last week and were briefed by security personnel in Pakistan who assured the delegation that South African cricketers would be provided security normally reserved for heads of state. – Sapa-AFP , Sapa