FICA to Pakistani Cricketers: Make a player body

The Federation of International Cricketers Association (FICA) has again advised the Pakistani cricketers to form a players association in their country, as it feel that it would benefit the players.

FICA’s Executive Chairman Tony Irish was quoted as saying, “It is unfortunate that until now Pakistani cricketers have not formed their own association although now in many cricket playing counties players have bodies to represent them and fight for their rights. Even now although they don’t have a association and are not linked with us they benefit from us.”

On asked about his stand on Zimbabwe player’s should not have toured Pakistan, Irish said that the FICA sympathies with the people of Pakistan for not getting any cricket action at home, but the sad truth is that the country is still not safe to play cricket. This stand by FICA on advising Zimbabwe players not to tour Pakistan had also upset PCB’s chief Shaharyar Khan.

“We felt Zimbabwe should not have gone. They went but at same time our concerns exist and there was an incident during the second ODI which can’t be ignored,” Irish added.

But according to Federal Minister for Information, Pervez Rasheed, vigilant security forces had prevented an attempt by a suicide bomber to enter the Gaddafi stadium in Lahore and he blew himself up at a distance of one kilometer away from the staidum.

Irish was of the view that since the PCB didn’t bother to invite them to send a delegation to ascertain the security arrangements for the tour first hand, they had no option but to continue relying on feedbacks sent earlier from security experts about the situation in Pakistan.