Australian players will send safety demands to IPL

The Australian Cricketers' Association will help formulate a list of security demands for IPL organisers following a meeting attended by the majority of Australian cricketers due to play in next month's tournament. Paul Marsh, the ACA's chief executive, said the players want to be involved in the event, but there are safety fears following a threat from the 313 Brigade, Al-Qaeda's operational arm in Pakistan.

"The independent report has identified some serious concerns with aspects of the current security process," Marsh said after the meeting in Sydney. "Specifically these concerns relate to the reported direct threat against the event and the status and implementation of the IPL's security plan.

"The process from here is for all players associated to meet with their player groups and for all of us to feed back the concerns raised from these meetings to the IPL. This will be coordinated through our peak body the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations. From here we will await a response from the IPL."

Heath Mills, the New Zealand Players' Association chief, also outlined the security concerns at a press conference in Christchurch. "There have been threats against cities in India, and clearly a direct threat against the event," Mills said. "A combination of those and our lack of confidence in security management plans have led us to having to ask some questions of the IPL and see whether they can alleviate those concerns.

"It's one thing to have a security management plan, it's a much different thing to see it delivered and delivered well. It's quite complex when you consider the IPL is played across 12 cities, 12 police jurisdictions throughout India. There are some real concerns around that aspect."

So far the IPL has rejected dealing with players' associations, a move which forced unions from Australia, England, New Zealand and South Africa to commission their own safety report on the situation in India. Reg Dickason, who has worked as a security advisor for the England and Australia teams, delivered his findings to the associations at the weekend and Marsh outlined the details to most of the 22 Australian players signed up for the tournament.