The Australian Cricketers’ Association today briefed its Indian Premier League-bound players about the security threat to the event and demanded specific assurance on their safety from the organisers.
ACA chief executive Paul Marsh met the players contracted with various IPL franchises and handed an independent security assessment on IPL prepared by renowned expert Reg Dickason here.
The meeting came after IPL players like Simon Katich (King XI Punjab) and Shaun Tait (Rajasthan Royals) made public their safety concerns about travelling to India for the event after terror outfit al-Qaeda warned of attacks on foreign players.
“The Australian Cricketers Association has just met with the majority of Australian IPL players to update them on the information contained in the independent security report commissioned by the Player Associations of Australia, England, New Zealand and South Africa and to discuss the next steps in the IPL security process,” Marsh said after the meeting.
“From the outset, it is important to reinforce that players want to play in this year’s IPL, however the independent report has identified some serious concerns with aspects of the current security situation around the 2010 IPL event,” Marsh added.
Marsh said the cricketers’ bodies of England, South Africa and New Zealand would also discuss the matter with their players before a formal letter of demands is sent to IPL organisers.
“These concerns relate to the reported direct threat against the event and the status and implementation of the IPL’s security plan,” he said.
“The process from here is for all Player Associations to meet with their player groups and for all of us to feed back the concerns raised from these meetings to the IPL.
“This will be coordinated through our peak body, the Federation of International Cricketers Associations (FICA).
From here we will await a response from the IPL,” Marsh said.
Incidentally, IPL commissioner Lalit Modi has refused to deal with the players’ bodies.
