A glance at this mornings The Dominion Post shows New Zealands shock at the events in distant Lahore. Terror raids on cricketers screams a headline over the picture of a blood-stained seat in the Lankan team bus. But its the bigger,eight-column news story on the same page,about a school stabbing in Auckland,that brings to the fore how changing datelines alter the idea of violence. But,somehow,the cricketers from this peaceful land have found themselves on the sidelines of deadly terror strikes. Twice in Sri Lanka and once in Pakistan they have flown home thanking their stars that they were a few feet away or a few minutes late from bomb blasts. So it didnt come as a surprise when the NZC chief executive Justin Vaughan said that New Zealands tour to Pakistan in November had been called off. While that was a given on a day when Sri Lankan players were air-lifted by a military helicopter,there are now fears being raised if it is safe for the eight New Zealand players to participate in the Indian Premier League (IPL) next month. Players and their agents were talking to their IPL franchises,desperate for inputs which would give them a fair idea about the scene in India. Chennai Super Kings all-rounder Jacob Oram explained the mindset of international players travelling to the sub-continent. I dont love cricket that much to go to a country putting my life and safety at risk, he said. The IPL had opened financial doors that I could never dream of. I am married now and it would take a lot for me to turn a blind eye to whats going on. I know around the world they are trying to get security beefed up. If thats the case,and I am assured about the security,I wont say no just yet. If it gets worse,you got to take a look at it. The players are banking on guidance from the New Zealand Players Association to take the final call. NZPA chief Heath Mills said that even before the Lahore attacks,he had been getting calls from players about security. There has been a lot of anxiety. The most important thing right now would be for the BCCI and IPL to deal with the players directly,and also with the world body of the players,FICA. Since there is no players association in India,NZPA cant deal directly with players. The Kiwi players are relying on us,however we can only give recommendations,in the end the decision will be left to the individuals, says Mills,whose brother Kyle could be turning out for the Mumbai Indians. Agents hit pause button Agents,too,are adopting a wait-and-watch policy. Aaron Klee,who manages Bangalore Royal Challengers new signing Jesse Ryder,has his fears but isnt getting cold feet as yet. India is quite different from Pakistan. Its a democracy where the systems are in place. I am pretty relaxed at this moment. But at the same time I wouldnt be just jumping on the plane to India. I will be sitting with the players association and New Zealand cricket officials to understand the scene better, he says. You know what,since we are so cut off from the world and far away from India we dont really have an idea about the things there. In a country where frisking at airports isnt a norm,where cabin baggage doesnt always go through a scanner and knife wounds get front-page display a day after a deadly terror attack,such a reaction is perhaps understandable.
