Concerned with Security, Australia Cricketers Threaten to Pull out of IPL

Expressing concern about their security, the Australian Cricketers’ Association has threatened to pull out of IPL, reported NDTV.

Paul Marsh, the Chief Executive of the Australian Cricketers’ Association said that he was not convinced about players’ safety during the tournament and that IPL had declined to share security plans, meaning that he could not advise players that it was safe to travel to India, said report.

He also expressed his disappointment that IPL doesn’t deal with players’ association, said report.

The statement came despite the assurance of Union Home Minister P Chidambaram to provide full security to the players taking part in the upcomping T20 event, said report.

“Let Australian players come to India. Let Pakistani players come to India. Let them play in Mumbai and I will guarantee them full security,” Chidambaram had said.

Earlier on Monday, Marsh had asked the IPL authorities to show ‘common sense’ and share the security plans with it so that it can advise players on their participation in the IPL 3 next month.

“We hope common sense prevails and the IPL provides us with access to these plans because if we are unable to assess the event’s security plans, we simply won’t be able to recommend to our players that we believe its safe to play in this year’s IPL,” Marsh said in an e-mail interview to PTI.

“Unfortunately this is turning into a farcical situation. The ACA and our players want the same thing as the IPL wants – a safe and successful event,” he was quoted as saying.

“But despite requests from players’ associations and the players themselves, the IPL is refusing to provide access to its security plans for this year’s event,” he had said.

Marsh had said that the ACA was currently gathering information from different sources before recommending anything to its players.