Sena threat serious but players to decide on IPL: Oz Govt

Melbourne, Jan 14 (PTI) Australian government has taken
Indian political party Shiv Sena's threat against the
country's cricketers "very seriously" but has left it on the
players to decide whether they want to travel to India for the
upcoming Indian Premier League in March.

According to media reports here, Cricket Australia
officials have met the Department of Foreign Affairs after
Sena's declaration that it would not let Aussie cricketers
play in Mumbai, the city where IPL franchise Mumbai Indians is
based.
Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith said the threat
was being taken very seriously.
"This has come from a political party and they have made
comments about disrupting cricket in the past and they've also
disrupted some cricket games in the past," Smith said.
"We take any threat against Australians overseas very
seriously. Australians, whether they're Australian cricketers
or Australians generally should carefully read our travel
advice so far as travel to India and other countries is
concerned," he told 'Sky News'.
Sena's threat came in the wake of a series allegedly
racist attacks on the Indians living Down Under.
Smith, however, said it was upto the players to decide
whether they wanted to go to India.
"In the end, it's a matter for Australians to make that
judgement. It's a matter for Australian cricketers and Cricket
Australia to make that judgement." More PTI PM
RBT


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