Luke, I see the point you're trying to make but I could'nt disagree more. The main point of the matter is that these guys are professionals, meaning that theyr paid to do a job i.e play cricket. I'm a Banker. If my bank transferred me to Georgia, Bosnia, Afghanistan or Pakistan, I would go because I'm paid a salary. If I dont want to go, I can quit. To me the players who refused to travel to Pakistan deserve all the ill will they are getting because the decision was a copout, pure and simple. When you're being paid to do a job, you need to get your ass in gear and go do the job. These 'tough' guys are just a bunch of whining cissy boy pansies, nothing more, nothing less.

A fact that a lot of people miss is that the Australia government actually advises to ALL citizens - not just cricketers, that at this point in time Pakistan is not a safe place to travel to - why ask sportsmen to go somewhere that our government tells accountants, bankers, teachers, nurses etc. not to travel to? Yes they are well paid - but they are paid to play cricket, not put themselves at risk. And anyone that wants to argue sport and politics shouldn't mix - to an extent yes, but there is a limit - South Africa's sporting isolation, anyone?

Mate its really quite simple. Numerous security teams visit the country to make their assessment. On the other hand numerous individuals sit on the other side of the world forming opinions based on what they see in a box in their lounge. Somehow the latter are able to make the better judgment. Beats me...