From: hist1261@waikato.ac.nz
Newsgroups: rec.sport.cricket
Subject: Re: NZ in SL
Date: 20 Nov 92 10:41:58 +1300
Organization: University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand

In article <1992Nov19.004811.8903@massey.ac.nz>, H.Edwards@massey.ac.nz (H. Edwards) writes:
> hist1261@waikato.ac.nz writes:
> 
>>Latest news reports are that the New Zealand team is split on whether or
>>not to continue the tour with most of the married team members (with the
>>exception of Crowe and Jones and possibly a few others) wanting to come
>>home to Mummy and most of the single players voting to stay.  Coach Warren
>>Lees is very much in the former camp.
> 
> A rather tasteless remark.  Didn't Lees' first wife die in a motor accident?

How so?  Warren Lees is in the "former camp" - ie, those players who want to
come home.  At the time of the posting the latest media reports indicated that
most of the married players wanted to return home, but that is not to say one
had to be married to express those wishes.  I fail to see how either statement
has anything to do with Lee's own personal tragedy which really has nothing 
whatsoever to do with Sri Lanka or indeed cricket in general.  I think you
give my subtext far too much credit, if "credit" is the correct word.
> 

>>A few reports have drawn a comparision with the New Zealand Netball team's
>>decision to stay on in Britain after IRA bomb threats, suggesting that the
>>netballs have a little more intestinal fortitude than our cricketers!
>>Personal opinion will no doubt dictate how one responds to such parallels,
>>but all I can say is that I hope we never have to fight another war if
>>the current controversy is an accurate measure of the nation's courage.
>>
>>Looking forward to politically correct flames.
>>
>>Richard.
> 
> Since when was the security of New Zealand threatened by the Sri Lankan
> civil war?  And just how great was the threat from other recent wars in which
> NZ troops have been involved?  The Gulf war?  Vietnam?  Korea?  If you want
> to go away and get shot or blown up in some foreign country, go ahead - I'm
> certainly not going to try and stop you.  Why criticise others who don't?


Well the issue here, despite my snide little ending, is one of risk.  As you
correctly point out Sri Lanka is not a war zone and the risk must be put in
perspective.  The cricketers are not targets, nor were the netballers, and thus
the parallel has some credence.  The threat of violence for the All Blacks in
South Africa was far greater than in either case, and that tour went ahead.

> 
> Our test cricketers make enough sacrifices as is with their first class
> and national obligations, without having to put their personal safety at risk
> as well.  It is clearly a personal decision, and each team member has the
> right to make that decision without pressure from the New Zealand Cricket
> Council or anyone else.


I would agree with these sentiments, but there seems to be some confusion, which
is inevitible, over the definition of "pressure".  I think New Zealand Cricket
had every right to attempt to convince the players to stay on.  Given that the
body has made it clear that there will be no recriminations toward the
returning memmbers of the squad, I think there was nothing particularly out of
order in attempting to salvage the tour for legal, financial and sporting
reasons.  Of course every individual had to right to decide for themselves,
but NZC also had a right to ensure that their decision was as informed as 
possible.
> 
> And regarding the comparison with netball: the netballers did not have a bomb
> go off in any of their hotels in Britain.


Granted.  I have sympathy for any players who were so badly effected by the 
blast that for psychological reasons they could not continue to function in
Sri Lanka.  There is a big difference between this form of "shell shock"
however and the argument that presupposes an ongoing threat to the team, which
is minimal, and this is the context in which the netball (and rugby) parallel is
relevant.

Richard.


> 
> -- 
> 
> 
> Howard Edwards				Ph: (64)(6)3569099 ext 8331
> Dept of Statistics			Fax: (64)(6)3505611
> Massey University			email: H.Edwards@massey.ac.nz
> Palmerston North
> NEW ZEALAND
Newsgroups: rec.sport.cricket