FICA justifies the warning it gave to players touring Pakistan

The Federation of International Cricketers Associations (FICA) has recently defended its warning to players planning to tour Pakistan for PSL final. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had earlier announced that the finals of the second edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) will be played at Lahore on March 7. PCB had made a strong statement in saying that the finals will not be moved out of Lahore even if the overseas players opt to pull out citing security reasons.

FICA had then issued a warning to players that touring Pakistan will not be a safe option. As per reports in ESPNcricinfo, they have now justified their warning. The mentioned that their warning has come from “highly credible security experts” and are totally in alignment with “advice from government agencies and diplomatic missions.”

The Pakistan Cricket Board was absolutely miffed about the warning being circulated to the players and players’ associations. These circulars spoke about the “elevated risk” of travelling Pakistan. It further added that “an acceptable level of participant security and safety cannot be expected or guaranteed.” A very annoyed PCB hit back at FICA quoting its approach and warning as “careless and cavalier”.

“Not a single foreigner or hotel has been attacked in Lahore in the last five years. (It is) a sweeping negative statement about the security situation thousands of miles away,” PCB stated.

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PCB went on to say that FICA has not a single credible security expert. Responding to this comment, the players’ associations mentioned that they used the advice of Eastern Star International (ESI). ESI is headed by Reg Dickason and the company has given security to NZC, CA, ECB and the ICC. They had given the green signal to the English team for touring Bangladesh.

“FICA relies on advice given by expert security consultants, Eastern Star International (ESI). ESI has supplied security services over several years to a number of cricket boards and international teams around the world and to the International Cricket Council (ICC).

FICA sent a confidential memorandum highlighting the advice received from ESI relating to the elevated security risk for them of playing in Pakistan. The elevated risk is in line with advice from government agencies and diplomatic missions of several countries regarding travel by foreigners to Pakistan,” responded the players’ associations body.

Citing the unsafe atmosphere in the country, they further added that no team has toured Pakistan since 2009 attack on the Sri Lanka team. Only Zimbabwe had toured in 2015 and even then there were instances of violence in the country. They mentioned that it is only due to security concerns that the PCB is hosting all league matches of PSL in Dubai and UAE. Hence, only bringing the final to Lahore is nothing but a risk uncalled for.

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“The only full member men’s team to tour Pakistan in this time was Zimbabwe in 2015. The ICC declined to send its match officials to Pakistan to officiate in this series for security reasons. A suicide bomber detonated an explosive device outside the stadium in Lahore shortly before the 2nd ODI of the series, killing himself and a policeman.”

“The PCB is staging all PSL matches, except the planned final in Lahore, in the UAE for security reasons. Several months ago the PCB consulted FICA in relation to provisions of the standard player contract for the PSL. When FICA expressed possible security concerns relating to playing the final in Lahore the PCB was not responsive to FICA on this issue.”