The Federation of International Cricketers Association has strongly objected to the ICC drawing a parallel between bomb blasts in Jaipur and Pakistan, saying it was an “irresponsible” and “mischievous attempt” to dress up the reality to woo teams to strife-torn Pakistan for Champions Trophy.FICA Chief Executive Tim May said it was unfair to compare the two blasts because in Jaipur there were no warnings for further blasts during the IPL while Pakistan was known for being a hub of violence.“It is a mischievous attempt by the ICC to compare the two events. There is a vast difference. In Jaipur, there was no intelligence of further attacks. In this case there is a well documented history against westerners in most cities of Pakistan,” May was quoted as saying by a website.“We can bicker about this, but there is a difference between reality and perception. But the reference to Jaipur was irresponsible,” he said.Withdrawal effectMay said the ICC was “desperate” to stage the event in Pakistan. “We must remember the players they listed were all Test players and who are not in the scheme of things when it comes to Twenty20 cricket. In this case we are talking of players who will rightly be part of the squads because of their value in the 50-over game. So if they refuse to take part, it will definitely affect the tournament. This attempt to dress up the whole thing is ridiculous.”May, however, said he would go to Pakistan as part of ICC’s Task Force on security in Pakistan. “I will go with an open mind. We would have made significant progress if the players are comfortable with what we see in Pakistan. All the stakeholders need to be satisfied, and that’s what matters,” he said.
