As questions rage in India about holding the IPL,not an hour goes by in New Zealand without concerns about the safety of the players involved in the event getting raised. Minutes after the pre-match media briefing got over,the chief of the New Zealand Cricket Players Association Heath Mills said on Thursday that players had been worried about their safety during the IPL even before the attack in Lahore. The Federation of International Cricketers Associations (FICA) completed a survey a month and a half ago with all international players and 83 per cent said they had concerns about the security arrangements for the IPL. They wanted more information about that and they wanted an independent review of the security,and they are very keen for FICA to conduct that review, he said. Mills added that the international body had passed on these concerns to the Indian board but had not got any response. FICA,through Tim May,sent a letter to the BCCI and the IPL. We havent gotten a response to it. It was sent four or five weeks ago. We hope to engage the BCCI and the IPL through FICA and to get FICA involved in the security-check process. If the BCCI wants the players to feel comfortable and secure about participating in the IPL,they need to include FICA in the process, he said. Vettori skeptical New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori also said that the players will be banking on the opinion of the players association before taking a final call on travelling for the IPL. But it seems unlikely that BCCI will get involved in such discussions because it is averse to the idea of dealing with player unions. All Im saying is that the players are concerned about travelling to India,and the best thing the BCCI can do is start working with the players representatives, Mills said. If we dont get a response from them well be in a situation where we wont be able to give recommendations or comfort to the players,and theyll really begin to question the IPL and their participation in it. Meanwhile,some Indian players are doing their bit to spread the word that travelling for the IPL will be safe. Delhi Daredevils skipper Virender Sehwag,for example,spoke to his star spinner Vettori to assure him that heightened security would be in place for the tournament.
