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'No problem' Sri Lanka to honor Kenyan World Cup fixturePosted: Saturday February 01, 2003 12:44 PMJOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -- Sri Lanka will honor its World Cup fixture in Kenya despite security concerns from rival New Zealand, said captain Sanath Jayasuriya on Saturday. New Zealand on Friday refused to play its match against Kenya in Nairobi because of fears over its players' safety. "We have no problem, we're going to play there," Jayasuriya told reporters shortly after the Sri Lankan squad arrived in South Africa for the World Cup which begins February 9. Kenya hosts Sri Lanka on February 24, while New Zealand was due to play there three days earlier. Security concerns in the country have intensified after a suicide bombing killed 16 people in an attack on an Israeli-owned hotel in Mombassa in November, for which the Al Qaeda network claimed responsibility. Jayasuriya played down his team's poor form in limited overs series this season. It lost 4-1 in South Africa, and won just two of its eight matches in Australia in a series that also featured England. "I think we have a very good side," Jayasuriya said. "If we can do well in the first round I think we can go all the way. "We accept that we didn't do well in South Africa, but we started playing better in Australia and we want to continue that type of improvement. "That should happen, because the conditions in Australia are not that different from here." Sri Lanka, World Cup champion in 1996, has been drawn in pool B along with South Africa, New Zealand, West Indies, Bangladesh, Kenya and Canada. The opening match in the tournament is between South Africa and the West Indies in Cape Town on February 9. England players' union seeks sight of security reportLONDON (Reuters) -- England's cricketers' association is to press again for sight of the Kroll Report which the International Cricket Council used as the basis of Thursday's decision to go ahead with six World Cup matches in Zimbabwe. The Professional Cricketers' Association (PCA) said after a teleconference Saturday they had been told that the report would not be made available to players' representatives. However, a meeting could be arranged between representatives and the report's authors in Cape Town at the end of next week. A PCA statement said: "This is an unacceptable position. The PCA have been contacted by a member of the media who has had access to the Kroll Report which has led to serious concerns. "Without doubt there is an element of risk as the Kroll Report confirmed 'extensive disruptions of the matches are planned by elements in the opposition MDC party."' The statement also said "vital" legal issues had been raised at Saturday's meeting. In addition, a letter had been requested to verify there were no problems over players' insurance. ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed said Thursday the Kroll Report had been "categorical in its ultimate assessment that it is safe and secure for all six matches in Zimbabwe to proceed as planned." Last Monday, the England team said it wanted its February 13 match with Zimbabwe moved to South Africa because of growing concern about the political situation in Zimbabwe. The World Cup starts on February 9 with a game in Cape Town between South Africa and West Indies.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. |
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