da lvbet： Citing unnamed sources, Pakistan’s claimsthat the ECB have stuck a clause into the tour MOU that allows the team topetition a change of venue while in the middle of the tour itself.
Cricinfo staff12-Jul-2005The ongoing controversy over the venues for England’s tour of Pakistanlater this year has taken another twist with the England & Wales CricketBoard (ECB) asking for the right to refuse to play at a venue even at amoment’s notice. Citing unnamed sources, Pakistan’s claimsthat the ECB have stuck a clause into the tour MOU that allows the team topetition a change of venue while in the middle of the tour itself.”The ECB has informed the PCB that the association representing theEnglish players has expressed certain reservations citing security andsafety concerns over playing in Pakistan,” the source was quoted assaying. “Some of the players have apparently told their board to have anunderstanding with the Pakistan Board that would allow them to refuse toplay 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 the11th hour citing security concerns. This would cause immense inconvenienceto the organisers and the TV broadcasters, and most importantly, thepaying 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 playershaving enough things to do while in Pakistan, the report added. The sourcewas cited as saying that Bevan was “assured by the PCB that there wasplenty to do for the English players like playing golf even at smallercentres like Multan and Faisalabad.”