Australia to play in Pakistan

Cricket Australia says a potential fine of close to two million dollars had nothing to do with its decision to schedule not one but two tours to Pakistan over the next two years.

Presenter: Alison Caldwell
Speakers: Security expert Clive Williams from the Australian National University.

CALDWELL: Foreign diplomacy is never easy, especially when it comes to cricket.

Just three weeks ago, the Pakistan Cricket Board threatened to cancel its team's tour to Australia late next year if Australia didn't agree to play their postponed series in April 2009. That came a fortnight after Cricket Australia axed its tour of Pakistan this year due to security fears. But both tours are now back on, for the time being at least.

Cricket Australia's Michael Brown:

BROWN: The decision was made at the time that we would postpone the program and we always agreed that we would find the appropriate dates for us to fit back into our FTP (Future Tours Program) obligations and that's been done and we're looking forward to -subject to all of the obvious concerns that need to be addressed - that we'll be, tours will be taking place in 2009 and 2010.

CALDWELL: Rescheduling the tour was important for both countries. Pakistan had insured the series for over $7-million. Had Australia cancelled its tour and not rescheduled, it may have faced a potential fine of as much as $2-million.
Michael Brown says this year's tour was only ever postponed.

BROWN: Our obligations under the Future Tours Program are that we must give every intention to play the matches on a reciprocal basis and we've followed that through.

We made that decision in conjunction with the PCB. It was not just a Cricket Australia decision, it was a decision discussed with the PCB and agreed with the PCB that we'd look to postpone the matches because at that moment in time they were having difficulties in their country. Now we hope that we've all moved on and the games are able to be undertaken in the future.

CALDWELL: It will be Australia's first tour of Pakistan since 1998.

In a joint press release Pakistan Cricket Board chairman, Dr Nasim Ashraf, says that "although disappointed that the tour couldn't be completed as originally scheduled, the PCB is very pleased that the Australian team will come to play in Pakistan". In turn, he's confirmed that Pakistan's next tour of Australia will go ahead in 2009.

The day Australia decided not to travel to Pakistan, two big bombs went off in Lahore where the PCB is based. With a bombing on almost a weekly basis over the past 12 months, Australian cricketing officials simply weren't prepared to risk the security and welfare of their players and touring staff.

But who is to say Australia won't postpone the tour again next year? Security experts say it's far too early to judge. For his part, the ANU's (Australian National University) Clive Williams believes nothing much will change between now and then.

WILLIAMS: There's nothing to indicate there's any likelihood of a changed or improved security situation in Pakistan. And in fact, given that the current coalition government is a fairly uneasy coalition, there could in fact be increased political instability in Pakistan next year.

CALDWELL: What's the situation been like in Pakistan in recent weeks?

WILLIAMS: Well there's been ongoing violence but a lot of that has been in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas but the dynamics are going to remain much the same. Musharraf is going to be trying to drive a wedge between the two coalition partners which will of course guarantee his survival politically.

The activity in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas is going to remain much the same. The army is not a position really to dominate there. And what they're trying to do is to make peace agreements with local tribes. And the local tribes then are supposed to prevent Taliban and al-Qaeda operating in their areas, but in fact that's not happening.

So I can't see that there's really going to be much improvement. And the intelligence service will continue to support the militant groups that are operating into Kashmir and into India. So essentially the level of terrorism within Pakistan isn't likely to change over the next 12 months.

CALDWELL: And it would follow then that travel advisories wouldn't change much either.

WILLIAMS: No, that's right. You know, if Cricket Australia wants to reschedule and think about next year that's fine, but I doubt that there will be much change in the travel advisory and that obviously will be the benchmark for them to continue to monitor that.