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Aussies Participation in IPL Uncertain

Australian Cricketers’ Association chief Paul Marsh said his players’ participation in the IPL tournament, which begins March 12, was not certain following the meeting held on Tuesday. “I think it is very difficult to say at the moment,” Marsh said.

“There are some issues that have been raised. If the IPL can satisfy those issues, potentially the players will be in a position to go,” Australian news agency AAP reported.

Global terror network Al Qaeda has warned of attacks in India, particularly targeting upcoming international sports events like the Commonwealth Games, the Hockey World Cup and the IPL cricket tournament.

Asia Times Online said it had received a message from Illyas Kashmiri, who heads the 313 Brigade, an operational arm of the Al Qaeda in Pakistan. The message received two days after the Pune bombing which killed 13 people, warns international players against participating in the mega sports events in India.

Marsh said the players won’t be lured by the riches of the IPL. “All the money in the world is not going to help you if you are not around to spend it.”

Marsh said consultant Reg Dickason’s security report had shown shortcomings in the IPL’s plans.

The cricketers would be open to the T20 tournament being shifted to South Africa for the second consecutive time.

“From our players’ perspective, that would ease a lot of fears,” Marsh was quoted as saying. He pointed out that they have “got about 25 players involved so it would be a lesser tournament (without them).”

“But as I said, at the moment our players want to go to the IPL, we have some issues we are trying to work through.”

IPL commissioner Lalit Modi, however, said: “I spoke to a couple of the (Australian) boys yesterday about it. I think they will all take part.”

“The tournament will go on. They are very comfortable with it. Not all players have said they don’t want to come. Some have had concerns and we have taken care of their concerns,” Modi said.

“There’s nothing to be concerned about.”

Australian legspin great Shane Warne last week said the threats had him “thinking twice” about heading to India to captain-coach the Rajasthan Royals, describing them as of “deep concern to athletes across a number of sports.”

Warne said the IPL had been moved last year at short notice to South Africa and, if the threats were proven, organisers should consider moving it again.

Organisers took the dramatic step of shifting the event abroad last March, after Indian authorities could not guarantee security because of a clash with national elections. Just weeks earlier gunmen in Lahore, Pakistan had ambushed the Sri Lankan team’s convoy, killing eight Pakistanis.

Extremist attacks in Mumbai in November 2008 which left 165 dead had already prompted grave security fears for the IPL tournament. —