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Cricketers' safety not guaranteed: ICC
After the Lahore attack, the ICC cannot guarantee the safety and security of any national teams, chief executive Haroon Lorgat said on Sunday.
- Associated Press
- Updated: March 08, 2009 03:12 PM IST
Read Time:3 min
Sydney:
The terrorist attack on the Sri Lanka team convoy in Lahore this week forever changed the sporting world's landscape, and the International Cricket Council cannot guarantee the safety and security of any national teams, chief executive Haroon Lorgat said on Sunday.
When asked if the ICC was unable to ensure player security at the 2011 World Cup scheduled for the subcontinent, he replied: "That would be the attitude to any event anywhere in the world."
Lorgat said the ICC will issue a more extensive response to the Lahore attack, in which six police officers and a bus driver were killed and seven players and a coach wounded, most of them not seriously.
The militants, armed with rocket launchers, hand grenades and assault rifles, ambushed Sri Lanka outside Gaddafi Stadium en route to the third day's play of the second test against Pakistan. Police suspect local militants were responsible for the assault, an investigator said.
"We are all aware of how that is likely to change the landscape on security assessments going forward and the kind of threat we might face not just in cricket but in all sports," Lorgat said.
"That's because, in my view, that is a barrier that has been breached and once you cross over something of that sort, I think things will change forever.
"We will respond in a manner that will be responsible and proper and we have scheduled an agenda item for the board meeting in April, where we would like to fully assess what has transpired and how we will respond."
Lorgat also said Australian umpires Simon Taufel and Steve Davis needed time "to be more rational" about the Lahore attack. Taufel, Davis and English match referee Chris Broad were all critical of the Pakistani security forces.
They claimed the security escort deserted them as they lay stranded on the floor of their van with their driver shot dead and a colleague wounded as the Sri Lankan team bus ahead in the convoy drove away.
"I am mindful of the experience they have gone through and it is a difficult time for them," Lorgat said Sunday.
"I guess if you or I had gone through something we might have reacted in a similar fashion and we must just understand the context and we must just allow them to settle down and be more rational in their assessment of what has transpired."
Lorgat didn't support the theory that the later departure of the Pakistan team bus that day suggested someone knew in advance that an attack was planned.
"My first reaction is that I do not believe that (was part of a conspiracy), if that is indeed the case we are in for a very sad period," Lorgat said. "It is pure coincidence."
He was guarded in his response to questioning over whether Taufel, Davis and Broad could be punished by the ICC for their comments.
"I don't want to respond in an equally knee-jerk fashion, we must just let settle what has happened," he said. "It is a serious issue that has transpired, it was absolutely life-threatening, and we must be very cool, calm and collected."
Lorgat said he was likely to call on Taufel, Davis and Broad to make a report for next month's ICC board meeting.
No international cricketer is safe anywhere, says the sport's governing body.The terrorist attack on the Sri Lanka team convoy in Lahore this week forever changed the sporting world's landscape, and the International Cricket Council cannot guarantee the safety and security of any national teams, chief executive Haroon Lorgat said on Sunday.
When asked if the ICC was unable to ensure player security at the 2011 World Cup scheduled for the subcontinent, he replied: "That would be the attitude to any event anywhere in the world."
Lorgat said the ICC will issue a more extensive response to the Lahore attack, in which six police officers and a bus driver were killed and seven players and a coach wounded, most of them not seriously.
The militants, armed with rocket launchers, hand grenades and assault rifles, ambushed Sri Lanka outside Gaddafi Stadium en route to the third day's play of the second test against Pakistan. Police suspect local militants were responsible for the assault, an investigator said.
"We are all aware of how that is likely to change the landscape on security assessments going forward and the kind of threat we might face not just in cricket but in all sports," Lorgat said.
"That's because, in my view, that is a barrier that has been breached and once you cross over something of that sort, I think things will change forever.
"We will respond in a manner that will be responsible and proper and we have scheduled an agenda item for the board meeting in April, where we would like to fully assess what has transpired and how we will respond."
Lorgat also said Australian umpires Simon Taufel and Steve Davis needed time "to be more rational" about the Lahore attack. Taufel, Davis and English match referee Chris Broad were all critical of the Pakistani security forces.
They claimed the security escort deserted them as they lay stranded on the floor of their van with their driver shot dead and a colleague wounded as the Sri Lankan team bus ahead in the convoy drove away.
"I am mindful of the experience they have gone through and it is a difficult time for them," Lorgat said Sunday.
"I guess if you or I had gone through something we might have reacted in a similar fashion and we must just understand the context and we must just allow them to settle down and be more rational in their assessment of what has transpired."
Lorgat didn't support the theory that the later departure of the Pakistan team bus that day suggested someone knew in advance that an attack was planned.
"My first reaction is that I do not believe that (was part of a conspiracy), if that is indeed the case we are in for a very sad period," Lorgat said. "It is pure coincidence."
He was guarded in his response to questioning over whether Taufel, Davis and Broad could be punished by the ICC for their comments.
"I don't want to respond in an equally knee-jerk fashion, we must just let settle what has happened," he said. "It is a serious issue that has transpired, it was absolutely life-threatening, and we must be very cool, calm and collected."
Lorgat said he was likely to call on Taufel, Davis and Broad to make a report for next month's ICC board meeting.
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