ICC does not own the players, says Marsh

Dubai: The sport of cricket is nothing if not resilient, but in the current climate of global instability the "gentleman's game" is facing its toughest challenge yet.

Since the first international cricket match, between surprisingly Canada and the US, was played in 1844, the game has been batted back and forth over political, racial and sporting boundaries and, for the most part, emerged with its soul intact.

But now world cricket is mired in controversies from all quarters and it must be hoped that while the game must evolve to survive, that it won't change beyond all recognition.

Accusations of doping, recreational drug-taking, match-fixing, racism and excessive sledging among high-profile players bring the game into disrepute while the money-men are vested with more and more power over the sport. Rival Twenty20 leagues promote the game globally, but at the same time reduce it to a soap opera and prompt a money-versus-country debate.

At the board level, cricket's administrators indulge in their own war of words; Zimbabwe are left isolated as the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) refuses to allow its players to attend the planned 2009 tour of Robert Mugabe's destitute country.

A three-way row is escalating between the ICC, the boards of India, Australia and South Africa and broadcasters over the scheduling of the Champions Twenty20 League just 24 hours after the conclusion of the Champions Trophy.

Most troubling aspects

But one of the most troubling aspects affecting cricket today is the constant threat of social unrest. Bombs or threats of bombs have derailed many tours and the way these sensitive issues are handled by opposing governing bodies poses almost more of a threat to the smooth running of the game than the social turbulence does.

Next month's Champions Trophy, scheduled to start, perhaps ill-advisedly, on September 11, is a case in point. Much was said in the media when last month the ICC board awarded the competition to Pakistan.

Security fears caused Australia, England and New Zealand to question the wisdom of the ICC's decision with all three teams voting for the tournament to be moved.

Even as ICC president Ray Mali has said he sees "no reason" for the competition not to go ahead, high-profile players have made public their own concerns.

England's new captain Kevin Pietersen admitted his fears in an interview with the BBC's Radio 5 Live last month. "I've definitely got reservations - 100 per cent - about going to Pakistan," he said. "I don't think pressure should be put on any individual, especially when you realise your life could be at risk."

Australia's Andrew Symonds had threatened to boycott a tour to Pakistan in March before it was called off due to security fears. It's a sensitive situation and one without an easy solution.

Australia's former wicketkeeper, Rod Marsh, the ICC's Director of Coaching at Dubai Sports City's Global Cricket Academy, believes individuals must be allowed to make their own decisions.

GULF NEWS: What do you make of the controversy surrounding the Champions Trophy?

MARSH: I hope it all goes ahead and everything goes smoothly. We can only rely on the information that the experts give us.

Some of the players are obviously still concerned though. Do you think they should go?

I can't say, "Oh, I'd go to Pakistan". I mean I wouldn't go to Pakistan if the authorities told me not to. Having said that, I wouldn't go to England if the authorities told me not to go. I'm not the one to judge and I don't think any of the players can determine if the place is going to be safe to play cricket. That's not their job.

Do you think that the ICC should penalise individuals who refuse to play in the Champions Trophy?

The ICC doesn't own the players. What are they going to do if I say I don't want to go to Pakistan? My obligation as a player is to my team and to the game. I have to make a decision as to whether I want to go with my team and enhance the game. If I don't think that's the right thing to do then I don't go.

So, should the competition be moved to Sri Lanka, the stand-by venue?

It's very, very difficult because if you go to Pakistan and something happens then you could never forgive anyone really. But we are in a changing world and where is safe? During the IPL in India, a bomb went off in Jaipur. But where did the wining team come from? Did they go home? These players have the right to say, "I don't want to go". You can't force them.

You toured Pakistan in the late 1980s. How was the experience?

We did two tours of six weeks and the biggest thing I remember was that I didn't have one drink of water because they didn't have bottled water in those days. The other thing of course was that we didn't win one game [laughs]. We had a very negative attitude.

Do you think that attitude has changed now?

I think future Australian teams that have toured the sub-continent have taken on board the culture of the place and realised that as they would be going there a lot, they might as well get used to it and enjoy it. As a coach, I always tried to get them to embrace the country and they really enjoyed it.

Will all these controversies damage the game in the long run?

If everything was running smoothly then cricket probably wouldn't make the papers or the TV. Yes, we are probably in troubled times, but people are aware there is a game called cricket out there. And there is great cricket out there. Look at the fantastic series between India and Sri Lanka; look at Ajantha Mendis - he's a great player.