Lahore casts IPL shadow in NZ
Thursday, 5 March 2009
Tuesday's terror attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore has led to a heightened anxiety among the New Zealand players over touring India for next month's IPL, with eight players expected to feature in the tournament which runs from April 10-May 24. Their concerns over playing in India existed, it turns out, even before last night's incident.
New Zealand allrounder Jacob Oram said the events in Pakistan have only worsened the state. "Definitely after what happened in Mumbai late last year, and what happened last night, it keeps raising questions," said Oram, who is part of the Chennai Super Kings squad in the IPL along with Stephen Fleming.
"Before that I wouldn't have had any worries. Now, though, questions have got to be asked. Heath Mills [the New Zealand Cricket Players' Association chief] and the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations [FICA] are looking into security measures. Last year the IPL was amazing, with all the fanfare, but now reality has hit hard."
Heath Mills told Cricinfo that the New Zealand players were more concerned about the security measures and that he had received calls from a couple of them even before the Lahore attack, enquiring about the security arrangements in the IPL.
New Zealand allrounder Jacob Oram said the events in Pakistan have only worsened the state. "Definitely after what happened in Mumbai late last year, and what happened last night, it keeps raising questions," said Oram, who is part of the Chennai Super Kings squad in the IPL along with Stephen Fleming.
"Before that I wouldn't have had any worries. Now, though, questions have got to be asked. Heath Mills [the New Zealand Cricket Players' Association chief] and the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations [FICA] are looking into security measures. Last year the IPL was amazing, with all the fanfare, but now reality has hit hard."
Heath Mills told Cricinfo that the New Zealand players were more concerned about the security measures and that he had received calls from a couple of them even before the Lahore attack, enquiring about the security arrangements in the IPL.