It’s ridiculous to play cricket in unsafe Pak, says Symonds

Sydney: In the wake of the fresh spate of bomb blasts in Pakistan ahead of the Champions Trophy slated to be played in September, Aussie all-rounder Andrew Symonds has said that he was yet to be convinced about how safe it was to be playing in Pakistan.

Symonds, who arrived home from a West Indies tour yesterday, said he was yet to be convinced whether it was safe to play in Pakistan

“My feelings haven’t changed a great deal. I don’t mind the odd game of cricket for Australia, but it is only a game at the end of the day, and putting yourself in a position where you’re not safe, to me is ridiculous,” The News quoted Symonds as saying.

Players from Australia, New Zealand and England have expressed concern over playing in Pakistan after a deadly suicide blast in Rawalpindi, one of three venues for the tournament. Symonds had first raised objections about Australia’s scheduled Test tour of Pakistan in April, which was eventually cancelled following a wave of suicide bombings.

Meanwhile, acting Australian captain Michel Clarke refused to express an opinion, and instead preferred to leave the call up to the game’s administrators. He said he would wait to hear what Cricket Australia (CA), the Australian Cricketers’ Association and the International Cricket Council (ICC) decided on the issue.

Shane Watson said he would play for his country wherever he was asked. “Personally, I’d go anywhere, I’ll play anywhere, I just want to play for my country. That’s what I’ve worked so hard for, the injuries I’ve had, pretty up and down times over the last year, so I’d do anything to play for my country so wherever we have to go, I’ll go,” Watson told reporters.

Source: ANI