News

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."