test2wa

International Cricket

Geoff Lawson said England's decision to abandon the India tour due to security fears, smacked of double standards.

"It's interesting that England are heading home and certain players don't want to play the Test series and yet we go back to 2005, bombs went off in London while there was a big series on there and it didn't affect one iota the cricket," Lawson said.

"I think a few of the England players should reflect on what happened in their country before they start pulling out of cricket matches in India," said the former Australia pacer.

England pulled out of the remaining two one-dayers against India in the wake of the terrorist attacks in Mumbai and some players have expressed concern about returning to the country for the two-match Test series.

Lawson, as then Pakistan coach, was against the idea of postponing the Champions Trophy in Pakistan, saying it would only give terrorists a platform to dictate world cricket.

"If you stop events that aren't particularly and directly threatening, you're just succumbing to terrorism and they succeed," 'Australian Associated Press' quoted Lawson as saying on Sydney radio station 2KY.

"So far, the facts are, no sporting event, let alone a cricket event, has ever been threatened. There's no guarantees and you can never say never but what are you going to do?" Lawson said. "Are you just going to say 'that's it, where there's terrorism we just won't go there on holidays, we won't do anything' and that will be one huge victory for these people, and that is exactly what you don't want." Lawson also felt shifting the 2011 World Cup, to be hosted jointly by India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, to another country would not lessen the threat of terrorist attack.

"No matter where you hold that event in the cricket world it could be open to terrorism. Whether it's going to be Christchurch or Alice Springs, it's not really going to matter. If they (terrorists) want to do something they'll find a way," Lawson said.