LONDON: Younis Khan’s emotional plea for teams to tour Pakistan notwithstanding, spin great Shane Warne reckons the trouble-torn country is still not safe for the visitors.
Warne had sympathy for Younis, his Rajasthan Royals teammate in inaugural Indian Premier League, but the retired Australian felt touring Pakistan is a hazardous proposition.
“It is easy to understand why Younis wants teams to tour his country. Unfortunately, the security risk is too great at the moment,” Warne wrote in his column for The Times.
“We all love playing there with the incredible atmosphere and passion inside the grounds, but it is not worth it because of what might happen. The guidance is from governments, not just cricket authorities,” he added.
Soon after leading Pakistan to the Twenty20 World Cup triumph, Younis had appealed to all the teams to tour Pakistan, something they have been avoiding in recent past resulting in a virtual isolation of the country.
Warne, meanwhile, felt having another Twenty20 World Cup next year defied logic and said Champions Trophy is a “joke” and should immediately be scratched.
“One of the best things about Twenty20 is the way that women and kids, new spectators, are coming to games. But we have to be careful. “To have the next event in April 2010 seems too soon. I think one of these tournaments every two years is about right. And we don’t need the Champions Trophy any more. That is a joke,” he added.
Dwelling on Ashes, Warne said England erred by omitting former captain Michael Vaughan from the pre-Ashes camp.
“England may have made a mistake by leaving Michael Vaughan out of what looks to be their big Ashes squad. Admittedly, I haven’t seen him for a while, but I do know that he’s a big-match player who can bring that touch of class. He deals with the short ball really well and looks to attack. Tactically, he could have helped (Andrew) Strauss,” Warne said.
“Vaughan is not just a better batsman than (Ravi) Bopara — I’d put him above everybody bar (Kevin) Pietersen. As long as he is making runs and can run between the wickets, he would be in my team,” added the spin legend.
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Pakistan still not safe, says Warne
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