ECB want to make last-minute venue changes
Citing unnamed sources, Pakistan's The News claims that the ECB have stuck a clause into the tour MOU that allows the team to petition a change of venue while in the middle of the tour itself.
Cricinfo staff
12-Jul-2005
The ongoing controversy over the venues for England's tour of Pakistan
later this year has taken another twist with the England & Wales Cricket
Board (ECB) asking for the right to refuse to play at a venue even at a
moment's notice. Citing unnamed sources, Pakistan's The News claims
that the ECB have stuck a clause into the tour MOU that allows the team to
petition a change of venue while in the middle of the tour itself.
"The ECB has informed the PCB that the association representing the
English players has expressed certain reservations citing security and
safety concerns over playing in Pakistan," the source was quoted as
saying. "Some of the players have apparently told their board to have an
understanding with the Pakistan Board that would allow them to refuse to
play at any venue if they have any concerns about playing there."
What this means is that the English team can pull out of a game at the
11th hour citing security concerns. This would cause immense inconvenience
to the organisers and the TV broadcasters, and most importantly, the
paying public. The clause was inserted after Richard Bevan, the players'
association representative, and John Carr, ECB Director of Operations, separately met PCB officials in Pakistan.
Apart from the security, Bevan was also concerned about England players
having enough things to do while in Pakistan, the report added. The source
was cited as saying that Bevan was "assured by the PCB that there was
plenty to do for the English players like playing golf even at smaller
centres like Multan and Faisalabad."