Pakistan consider switching tour to Australia

[MattW]

PAKISTAN would be willing to play in Australia if the scheduled tour to the subcontinent nation in March is scrapped because of security fears.

While the Pakistan Cricket Board would only consider the move in a "worst-case scenario", the revelation gives renewed hope that the series will be played regardless of the fallout of Pakistan's general election on February 18. Cricket Australia is investigating whether players and officials would be safe to tour after the assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto late last month, which has been followed by two deadly terrorist attacks in the past fortnight.

Full Story: Sydney Morning Herald
PlanetCricket Discussion: Tour Thread

 

[Hooper]

:o

Well, that would be interesting. Its Autumn here in Aus, could be interesting...

 

[smssia0112]

If it is played at that date, I suppose it would be in Darwin and Cairns.

 

[Gilly Fan]

Doubt We'd be able to use the SCG, Cairns, Darwin or the GABBA due to AFL commitments. So it'd be the WACA, Adelaide oval, and i dunno. By the way, they're meant to be touring in 2009.

 

[smssia0112]

Why can't they use Darwin or Cairns?

As for the SCG and GABBA, apparently the GABBA is available early on and the SCG will also be available at some stage. Melbourne is the biggest gap, whilst Adelaide Oval and the WACA aren't AFL grounds at all.

 

[aussie1st]

Manuka oval in Canberra hosting a test match hmmm.
Cairns and Darwin should be free and what happened to Telstra Dome and Stadium? Surely they could be free.

 

[0601731]

thi is really sad for pakistan cricket,i hope aussies go to pak.

 

[Sureshot]

Doubt We'd be able to use the SCG, Cairns, Darwin or the GABBA due to AFL commitments. So it'd be the WACA, Adelaide oval, and i dunno. By the way, they're meant to be touring in 2009.

How about a tour swap? So you tour there in 2009 when hopefully it'll be more peaceful.

 

[RoboRocks]

It sounds the safe thing to do looking at recent events due to politics. I like the idea of a tour swap as well so at least we can see each team tour each other (if that makes sense).

 

[Hooper]

How about a tour swap? So you tour there in 2009 when hopefully it'll be more peaceful.

Yeah, but we haven't played Pakistan away from home in a decade or something - some long time...So its a bit disappointing to have to wait even more.

 

[RoboRocks]

Yeah, but we haven't played Pakistan away from home in a decade or something - some long time...So its a bit disappointing to have to wait even more.

Its only a year to have to wait though. So its not that long. Hopefully it would then be a good contest with Pakistan going to Australia.

 

[Hooper]

Its only a year to have to wait though. So its not that long. Hopefully it would then be a good contest with Pakistan going to Australia.

Its always been the same old same old...Postpone the tour and they say we will tour there next series. Who says it won't happen the next time and we wont play Pakistan again! I say we just order Pakistani Army Tanks, half there defence force and keep a high profile cricketer hostage on the Aussie team bus so we will be fine. I want to be able to beat Pakistan in Pakistan, because if I can remember we didn't win the last time we were there.

 

[sohum]

How about a tour swap? So you tour there in 2009 when hopefully it'll be more peaceful.

If Pakistan are scheduled for the Australian summer season then that won't be possible because the Australians play at home every summer, remember?

 

[gutterman]

Yeah, but we haven't played Pakistan away from home in a decade or something - some long time...So its a bit disappointing to have to wait even more.

There's probably a good reason why we havent toured there for a decade but whatever it is it must be on going