Andrew Symonds - file
sydney, australia (ap)
The Australian Cricketers' Association is hinting at a boycott of the Champions Trophy by the defending titlist because of security concerns in Pakistan.
"Based on the independent information and advice received, we maintain that the risks are simply too great for the ACA to recommend that our players tour Pakistan at this time," Paul Marsh, head of the Australian players' union, said in a statement Friday. "We would expect Cricket Australia to adopt the same position."
The International Cricket Council went ahead with plans to stage the biennial event in Pakistan after a telephone conference yesterday involving members from the 10 top-tier nations.
Now the ICC runs the risk of countries sending depleted squads or boycotting the tournament.
Major gamble
Marsh said the ICC had taken a major gamble on insisting the Champions Trophy go ahead in Pakistan despite concern from players around the world.
"If it continues in Pakistan at this volatile time, unfortunately many of the world's best players won't participate, which is not a good outcome for cricket," Marsh said. "The ACA continues to have serious concerns with our players touring Pakistan for the Champions Trophy and we are disappointed with the ICC's decision."
Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds has already said he would not risk his safety and other leading international players have voiced the same opinion.
Security concerns
The Australian team is the only major Test-playing aggregation that has not toured Pakistan over the past decade. They were scheduled to tour Pakistan in March-April, but rescheduled it until next year due to security concerns.
Last October, the Pakistan Cricket Board had to shift a limited-over international against South Africa from Karachi to Lahore after suicide bombs killed about 150 people in a procession of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. The ex-premier died in a suicide attack in Rawalpindi in December.
Pakistan hosted the six-nation Asia Cup tournament this month without any major incident in Karachi and Lahore.
However, when Sri Lanka defeated India in the Asia Cup final at the southern city of Karachi on July 6, a suicide attacker detonated explosives near a police station in the capital Islamabad in the north of the country, killing at least 19 people.
A string of six small explosions a day later wounded at least 37 people in Karachi, striking residential and commercial spots.
Rawalpindi - a city near Islamabad - is one of the venues for the Champions Trophy, along with Lahore and Karachi.
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