Thorpe blog: Trust Reg

Eurosport - Wed, 03 Dec 15:20:00 2008

As talks continue to determine whether England should resume their tour of India following the terrorist attacks on Mumbai last week, Graham Thorpe says in his latest blog that the players should go if security consultant Reg Dickason gives them the all clear.

CRICKET England Graham Thorpe - 0

I went to India in 2001 with England not long after the 9/11 attacks on America. Andrew Caddick and Robert Croft decided to stay at home so I've been in this situation before.

I think if security says it is ok then you go. You can imagine that security will be multiplied by a hundred so it will be as safe as it can be going back there.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India have already changed the itinerary to the south of the country to reassure the tourists.

So it's up to the security side and consultant Reg Dickason to make a decision, that's why he gets paid.

He is the one England take advice from and if he says it's ok, guaranteeing around the clock surveillance which pretty much exists anyway, then you go.

But with the England players having seen a lot of what went on in India on the television I can see it is a pretty difficult decision.

It is certainly disappointing if the players are left to make decisions on their own.

It really should be a board decision as to whether it is safe or not safe and if's it considered safe then everyone should be treated the same.

Maybe someone with a family with kids or with a wife who is pregnant will have a totally different emotional view on it rather than a single lad trying to break into the England team.

Graham Swann trying to play in his first Test match will think totally different to Andrew Flintoff who is established in the side.

If Flintoff or Steve Harmison don't want to go back they don't have to worry about their places in the team.

A good example is Paul Collingwood and Owais Shah who are battling for a Test place. If you don't go and then someone like Shah goes and makes two hundreds then they say it won't be held against you but Shah would have done far more to nail down a place in the Test team.

It's very hard to reschedule a tour with the commitments in place with the ICC Future Tours Programme and the officials have to look in the cold light of day for what the situation it is.

India is the financial hotbed of world cricket but that shouldn't be a factor in the decision at all. Whether the tour is to India, West Indies, South Africa or Australia it shouldn't make any difference.

Eurosport

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  1. the brits should not have returned to India pleading­ terrorism which is not there in England of course. This­ way you could have avoided the 6th successive loss in­ indian soil. By the way the cause of the terrorism and­ the antipathy between Pak and India was created by the­ Brits, read history. Good luck if you are capable of­ recognising the history.

    From ray, on Mon 15 Dec 5:56PM

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    From Letes H, on Wed 3 Dec 1:09PM

  3. the brits r smart and knew to withdraw due to the­ terror act in Mumbai, there is no comaparison with the­ London bombings as that was merely an internal­ disturbance , the test match went on as the aussies did­ not leave UK. Now they will send an expert who will see­ if there is any threat remaining with his 3rd eye.­ Given the clearance thebrits will return to play rest­ matches. I do not endorse nor wish them to return again­ , ever.

    From ray, on Wed 3 Dec 8:39AM

  4. DrBob,

    I think that's a little off the mark.
    I­ also believe the guys should tour, but those who opt­ out are not doing so because of the threat of a 2-0­ test defeat.
    I have been in a situation where threats­ are imminent and however hard you try to concentrate on­ a job, it is always in the back of your mind. Yes,­ unfortunately, both teams are under threat but­ hopefully security will mean that the games can go­ ahead. Long live cricket!

    From redneck_detector, on Wed 3 Dec 3:50AM

  5. Why don't we realise that the issue is not at all­ about security. The Indian players are at as much risk­ or even more than KP and Co but they never said a word­ against the tour. The top shots like KP, Freedie,­ Harmison, etc are more worried about the mauling they­ presume they are going to get at the hands of MSD and­ co. So this has come as an excellent chance for them to­ 'chicken out with honour'.

    Isn't it­ strange that all of a sudden we have forgoten about the­ scorecard being 0-5 and the pathetic performance of the­ team

    From drbobby2626, on Wed 3 Dec 12:37AM

  6. Why don't we realise that the issue is not at all­ about security. The Indian players are at as much risk­ or even more than KP and Co but they never said a word­ against the tour. The top shots like KP, Freedie,­ Harmison, etc are more worried about the mauling they­ presume they are going to get at the hands of MSD and­ co. So this has come as an excellent chance for them to­ 'chicken out with honour'.

    Isn't it­ strange that all of a sudden we have forgoten about the­ scorecard being 0-5 and the pathetic performance of the­ team

    From drbobby2626, on Wed 3 Dec 12:35AM
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  8. Don't ask.....there's a wall of ignorant­ silence over there in the Yapoo bunker

    From redneck_detector, on Tue 2 Dec 3:15PM

  9. why invalid ?

    From aturrell835, on Tue 2 Dec 2:31PM
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