Mumbai: England’s one day international (ODI) skipper Eoin Morgan has made it abundantly clear that players will be allowed to skip tour if they do not feel safe about their security. Bangladesh was struck by terrorist attack recently.
Alastair Cook, Test captain and Morgan will meet England and Wales cricket board’s security advisor Reg Dickason on Thursday to discuss and assess the situation and plan for the future course of events.
Dhaka was attacked in July, where Islamic State (ISIS) took the responsibility as 20 hostages were killed. The nationals from Italy were massacred in the attack. Australia didn’t send their Under-19 team for ICC Under-19 World Cup and their senior team didn’t turn up for a series last year.
Pakistan, who recently became the No.1 Test side in the world, has been playing their cricket in UAE since 2009. Sri Lankan team bus was attacked by terrorist and Pakistan has not played their matches at home since that dastardly attack.
“They’ll debrief us on the findings on both tours (Bangladesh and India) and we’ll chat about it. It has to be quite open,” Morgan said in comments reported by British media on Wednesday.
“People have missed tours in the past so you have to make guys feel safe to go. It’s a decision you’d rather get out of the way sooner rather than later.
Bangladeshi ODI captain Mashrafe Mortaza has urged his England counterpart to tour and it will strengthen the relations between two countries. England last toured Bangladesh in 2010 for two test and three ODIs and they won both the series comprehensively. England is playing the same numbers of matches as they played in 2010 and then will embark upon Indian tour.
Euro 2016 happened in France despite terror attacks happening in past and there should not be double standards for European and Asian countries. ICC needs to step in and try to normalise the situation.
“There’s always room for a personal decision. You also have to understand guys might have different priorities.”
This is not the first time that England players will be making the choice whether to play or not. Andy Caddick and Robert Croft didn’t play against India in 2001 tour due to terror attacks of 9/11. English team also forfeited their game against Zimbabwe in the 2003 ICC cricket World Cup.
Bangladesh is a cricket mad nation and it wiil be a tragedy if England tour doesn’t take place. The fans will be disappointed and it will not send the right message to the cricketing fraternity.
England are currently playing Pakistan in the ODI series and Bangladesh last played during the World T20.