Sutherland: No alternative but to postpone
Cricket Australia boss James Sutherland says there was ‘no alternative’ but to postpone the upcoming tour of Pakistan.
In a decision that clears the decks for Australia’s elite to earn mega-dollars in the Indian Premier League, Sutherland insists the tour has been postponed, not cancelled.
“We want to play cricket against Pakistan and we want to play ideally in Pakistan.”
There may be itinerary windows in 2009 or 2010.
The decision not to play in Pakistan this autumn was hardly unexpected, with scenes of violence continuing to fill news reports.
“We drew some conclusions from our discussions with the government and other advisors last week that saw us in a position of really seeing that there wouldn’t be any other alternative,” Sutherland said.
Cricket Australia were open to staging the matches on neutral venues, as was the case in 2002, however the Pakistan board did not entertain the idea.
“At the end of the day, that’s something for the Pakistan cricket tour. It’s their tour,” Sutherland said.
Subscribe to The Serve by Email
No comments yet.