commander
16-Jan-2010, 10:20 PM
SYDNEY: Australia’s Foreign Minister Stephen Smith on Thursday said he took “seriously” a right-wing Hindu party’s threat to stop its cricketers playing in an Indian state which hosts lucrative IPL matches.
Smith said Australian cricket and foreign ministry officials were discussing the comments from Bal Thackeray, head of Mumbai’s influential Shiv Sena, which follow a string of attacks on Indian nationals in Australia.
Thackeray said the party would not let “kangaroo cricketers” play in its home state of Maharashtra where two major cities, Mumbai and Nagpur, hold Indian Premier League (IPL) games.
“This has come from a political party and they’ve made comments about disrupting cricket in the past and they’ve also disrupted some cricket games,” Smith told Sky News.
“We take any threat against Australians overseas seriously. In the last couple of years we’ve developed a very close relationship with Cricket Australia so far as Australian cricket teams and individuals playing overseas are concerned.”
The Shiv Sena has in the past prevented Pakistan’s national team from playing in Maharashtra for what it says is Islamabad’s backing of militant activities in India.
Smith said any decision to play in India would have to be taken by individual players and teams, adding that the government would provide security advice.
Australian cricketers like captain Ricky Ponting, Andrew Symonds, Matthew Hayden and Shane Watson will be among the star players in the IPL Twenty20 competition’s third edition in March and April.
“In the end it’s a matter for Cricket Australia and the individual cricketers to make a judgement about whether they travel and play overseas,” Smith said.
“We make sure that they’re in receipt of the most recent advice, and as a consequence of this most recent suggestion Cricket Australia and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade officials will be having one of their regular conversations today.”
He added that Australia would also keep a close eye on security for other events in India, including this year’s hockey World Cup and the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi. —AFP
Smith said Australian cricket and foreign ministry officials were discussing the comments from Bal Thackeray, head of Mumbai’s influential Shiv Sena, which follow a string of attacks on Indian nationals in Australia.
Thackeray said the party would not let “kangaroo cricketers” play in its home state of Maharashtra where two major cities, Mumbai and Nagpur, hold Indian Premier League (IPL) games.
“This has come from a political party and they’ve made comments about disrupting cricket in the past and they’ve also disrupted some cricket games,” Smith told Sky News.
“We take any threat against Australians overseas seriously. In the last couple of years we’ve developed a very close relationship with Cricket Australia so far as Australian cricket teams and individuals playing overseas are concerned.”
The Shiv Sena has in the past prevented Pakistan’s national team from playing in Maharashtra for what it says is Islamabad’s backing of militant activities in India.
Smith said any decision to play in India would have to be taken by individual players and teams, adding that the government would provide security advice.
Australian cricketers like captain Ricky Ponting, Andrew Symonds, Matthew Hayden and Shane Watson will be among the star players in the IPL Twenty20 competition’s third edition in March and April.
“In the end it’s a matter for Cricket Australia and the individual cricketers to make a judgement about whether they travel and play overseas,” Smith said.
“We make sure that they’re in receipt of the most recent advice, and as a consequence of this most recent suggestion Cricket Australia and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade officials will be having one of their regular conversations today.”
He added that Australia would also keep a close eye on security for other events in India, including this year’s hockey World Cup and the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi. —AFP