No politics in World Cup venues, says ICC

From Neville de Silva in London

World Cup venues are for cricket and not for politics, the game's governing body, the ICC stated unequivocally, adding it would prevent the politicisation of the game currently on in the West Indies.

“We will do our best to keep the CWC venues for what they are intended, cricket”, the ICC's Communications Officer James Fitzgerald told The Sunday Times.

While the ICC has maintained that the current spat between the Sri Lanka Government and Amnesty International over the latter's campaign to alert the public to human rights violations by armed parties in Sri Lanka, is a matter between the two, the ICC is keen to ensure the current tournament is not politicised.

Asked what would constitute politicisation James Fitzgerald said “My own definition is this: the hijacking of the event by any party to highlight an unrelated political agenda.”

He added that while this might prove difficult to prevent if that politicisation takes places in another location such as London or Colombo, they would do their best to keep World Cup venues free of such activities.

The ICC would ensure the safety of players, officials and spectators, he said.

“As with all events there is a security plan in place through the ICC's ASCU, working in conjunction with the local police.” Across the board, political parties in Sri Lanka have condemned the Amnesty International campaign and many have claimed that the campaign is intended to demoralise the national cricket team though AI has denied it.

Meanwhile the ICC spokesman made clear that the organisation's acting CEO until a few days ago, Faisal Hasnain, had made ‘no public comment’ on the issue.

The spokesman was alluding to a Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry press release which cited Mr. Hasnain as “giving an assurance that Amnesty International will not be allowed to carry on its campaign in the World Cup venues and that political campaigns are completely forbidden from (sic) the tournament....”

This assurance is said to have been given to Sri Lanka's ambassador to the UAE, M.N Junaid.

While denying that Mr Hasnain made any public comment, the ICC said “What Mr Hasnain may or may not have said in private is, by its very nature, private,” chiding the Foreign Ministry for making public remarks that may have been made in a private conversation with the Sri Lankan ambassador who probably acted under instructions to canvass the ICC now headquartered in Dubai.