Players will be safe in India during IPL

Kings XI Punjab co-owner Preity Zinta spoke to CNN-IBN about the BCCI's intentions to postpone the IPL to a later date so as to not clash with the dates of the general elections.

CNN-IBN: Do you endorse the opinion of other team owners raising concern over player safety for the IPL?

Preity Zinta: I think we have full faith in the system and the Government in India. Player safety shouldn't be such a great concern in India. Even when the England team was playing in India, they were completely safe (at the time of the Mumbai terror attack). I would like to give the benefit of doubt to the system to keep everyone safe during the IPL.

CNN-IBN: The BCCI has agreed to reschedule some of the IPL matches so that they don't clash with the elections. But what P Chidambaram, the Home Minister, has said that it's going to be very difficult to move security forces around for two much big events. Wouldn't that be a huge concern?

Preity Zinta: That's the Government's decision and we respect that. We as owners are going to have a lot of security in and around the stadiums, that goes without saying. But we need to be positive and look at the brighter side and as opposed to being worried and scared. The idea of terrorism is to infuse fear and confusion among people. I can assure you that and from the system I would hope there would be great security cover and things would be fine.

CNN-IBN: Have any of your players voiced any concern because Jacob Oram, the Kiwi all-rounder who plays for Chennai Super Kings, is said to have second thoughts about coming to India.

Preity Zinta: None of our players as of now have voiced any concern as such. Nobody has come forward and said anything. In fact, not even the two Sri Lankan players (Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara) have said anything of that nature to us. Our prayers are with them and thankfully, most of them are safe and sound. Incidents like these are unfortunate. It's unfortunate for cricket and sport in general.

But I would like to say that we have full faith in the Indian security and the Government's ability to protect sporstmen and its country's citizens. It's being unfair on people who have lost their lives in protecting them to come out and say that they have fears.

CNN-IBN: Have you been in touch with Sangakkara and Jayawardene after the incident?

Preity Zinta: We have been in touch with their families and they are safe. I think everyone has been a little jilted and shocked about what happened. But they are safe.