The tour must go on

Hereford

Hear hear!

Tory Lion

James - spot on.

Greg

"..but imagine how we would have felt if after the 7/7 bombings the Australian cricket team had headed to Heathrow."

But the 7/7 bombers weren't specifically looking for those with Australian passports, were they?

Verity

Well, well, for once, I absolutely agree with James. It would be a grossly dishonourable act to cancel the tour. How many Indians died fighting for us in WWII? And there is the suggestion that our own men can't even go over for a cricket match in case they get hurt?

Kennybhoy

Amen.

Dr Tchok

Couldn't agree more.

CG

Some of the star players in the Australian Rugby League team wanted the team to pull out of their English tour in 2001. When they were told that they would be replaced by more willing players, and may not get their places back, they decided to come after all.

The Bellman

Greg: That's the spirit...

Tory Lion

Apparently the team are returning home but will go back for the test series...

Interesting decision

William Norton

The tour should continue, with the proviso that any player who wants to withdraw can do so (but without guarantee that they'll be picked for the next series).

George Laird

Dear All

James Forsyth has called for people to stick their necks out to show solidarity.

Unarmed cricketeers v heavily armed AK47 gunmen tooled up to the eyeballs intent on causing death by any means.

When is James Forsyth going to India to be with the Cricket Party Tour?

If he is brave enough to ask others to risk their lives it must mean he is prepared to go to and stand beside them.

Don't be brave with other people's lives James.

If some of them get shot dead, are you willing to go face the relatives?

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

William Norton

George Laird: can't speak for James Forsyth, but in all seriousness if they need volunteers to play for England, then I'd do it, AK47s or not. I mean, it's the only chance I'll ever get.

PS: one other query - you always sign off "The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University". Does this mean:
(a) The Campaign for Human Rights which is based at Glasgow University; or
(b) people at Glasgow University don't have any human rights, and you're campaigning that they should?

Matthew Blott

The English cricket team must be brought home at once but not because of the outrages in Mumbai. How else are they to avoid further humiliation?

James Forsyth

George Laird, I take your point. But I would happily go if The Spec wanted to send me and these men are representing their country which puts things in a rather different light.

Jem

Did you see Gordon Brown expressing support for India `On behalf of the world`? He really does believe he is the saviour.

Forlornehope

Once,put in a similar position related to a business event, my response was to ask if there was intelligence that the specific event was a target. There was not so I went. If there had been I would not have gone. If there is intelligence that the cricketers or the matches are targets it would be foolhardy to proceed. If there is not, it would be wet not to.

George Laird

Dear James Forsyth and William Norton

Firstly, James, I am glad you acknowledge my point.

I would never ask someone to stick their neck out to prove a political point.

These people are not soldiers and not even trained, they are there to play a game.

And no game is worth losing your life over.

Brown has said Britain stands full square behind India but don't expect any member of New Labour to be on a plane to Mumbai soon.

Since you have put your neck and said you would go, if the Spectator is willing to risk your neck then if they would offer me the same arrangement I would stick my neck out with you too.

Secondly, William, I sign off my posts The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University because Glasgow University operates a secret policy of human rights abuse. The answer therefore is B.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

TGF UKIP

Hear, hear, hear, James, but unfortunately the England cricket team have past form on this sort of thing. Remember after 9/11 a gang of them (Croft, Caddick etc)wouln't tour India and then the Zimbabwe affair when a few loony toon "death threats" sent them scurrying. (Some may recall Hussein's emotional outburst "there's tears in that dressing room."

This lot under Pietersen may be of sterner stuff but I wouldn't count on it.

Paul

Well all I will say is my plans were to go to Mumbai to watch the second test. Room booked at the Taj Mahal. Flight to Mumbai paid for, tickets for the test paid for. How keen am I go to go now?
Not very.
So anyone on here wants to buy my airline ticket and pick up my hotel reservation and match ticket let me know.
Easy to make a point on here, but when its a decision you have to make, not so easy.

Patrick

TGF UKIP, England also have form when it comes to staying on. When there were (largely anti-Sikh) riots in India after the assassination of Indira Gandhi and the murder of the Deputy High Commissioner in 1984, England wanted to come home but were persuaded to stay and play the Test series (after a couple of weeks in Sri Lanka to let tensions cool). The Indian Government used that decision as a way of promoting harmony under the slogan "live together, play together", with posters of the Indian cricketers, who had been heroes a year earlier by winning the World Cup and were from mixed sectors of Indian culture (including Sikh players). They couldn't have done that if England had gone home. That David Gower's side then won the series 2-1 made it worthwhile for England.

I'm still intrigued about the human rights abuses at Glasgow University. Are they closing the student bar early? Or is something to do with the anti-smoking brigade?

George Laird

Dear Patrick

You are such a laugh.

"Are they closing the student bar early? Or is something to do with the anti-smoking brigade?"

Try as a starter for ten, little girl lying asleep who wakes to find a senior male lecturer of the Arts Faculty touching her up.

Print in the student newspaper

Another gem is the university holding disciplinary hearings and withhold evidence from the accused. Denial of right to a fair hearing.

I have the files.

Get with programme Patrick.

Employee scared witless complains about feeling threatened by fellow emplyee known steroid user. Senior management failed to protect him, arm and leg broken, face destroyed.

Glasgow Sheriff Court trial

"Unfair by any standards of natural justice", comment of a chairman at employment tribunal concerning a female sexual harassment case.

Also documented in the press.

Finally, google Richard Yuill, who wrote a PhD which attempted to normalise paedophilia. He stated in certain circumstances a young male child benefits from sex with a man.

His work is hidden from view and not listed in the Library catalogue.

I wonder why, is it because at he listed the people he wanted to thank?

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

ps if the student bar closes I drop a line here to update you.

The Dandiprat

George Laird.

Put like that, I would be on your side with those issues. But why can't all this come under some other title? This Human Rights label is such a turn off, it's all a bit ginger dreadlocks and windchimes.

What's wrong with fighting for plain old justice?

Verity

Dandiprat observes, rightly, that the "human rights" (I don't capitalise it) label is a turn off. As are other Orwellesque manipulative terms "global warming"; "man-made global warming"; "climate change".

I don't care how they phrase it. I say it's spinach and I say the hell with it.