CRICKET Australia (CA) has indicated it will not be swayed by putting another rival offside by pulling out of the proposed tour of Pakistan if it believes the country is not safe for its players.
Next month’s proposed tour appears doomed after players and administrators admitted to concerns over visiting Pakistan because of security concerns.
Captain Ricky Ponting said he and his teammates had expressed their worries about Pakistan given the levels of violence following the assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto last year.
"There is no doubt at all that in our dressing room there are some concerns, and anybody that would be touring Pakistan at the moment whether they be a cricketer or a day-to-day citizen, would have concerns," Ponting said.
"I don’t think we are different to what anyone would be, but we are being kept in the loop daily, and CA and the ACA (Australian Cricketers’ Association) have been terrific in that in the last few months."
CA and the ACA will wait until after next week’s scheduled elections in Pakistan before sending a delegation to the country to assess security arrangements.
Some Australian players have reportedly vowed to boycott the tour if CA rules the tour go ahead, although CA, the ACA and player managers played down that threat.
Australia’s decision comes at a delicate time given the fall-out with India from the second Test in Sydney last month, and CA’s decision to postpone two Tests against Bangladesh this year.
Pakistan indicated this week they would consider boycotting their proposed tour of Australia in 2009 if Ponting’s side did not visit next month.
But CA spokesman Peter Young admitted the organisation also shared the concerns of its players, and would not commit to touring for three Tests, five one-day internationals and one Twenty20 match unless it was completely safe to do so.
"We are aware of their concerns and we share those concerns, and we won’t be sending our players anywhere that isn’t safe," Young said.
"We have to assess what is going on, but we have a good track record of getting things right and also of demonstrating that we can make hard decisions."
ACA chief executive Paul Marsh said "everybody is concerned", but said the players’ union was committed to assessing the situation after the elections.
Australia have not toured Pakistan for a decade and had their 2002 series shifted to Sri Lanka and Sharjah because of security concerns.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has promised Australian players would be treated to a level of security rivalling visiting dignitaries, and has indicated the world champions pulling out of a tour would be devastating for the country’s cricket.
PCB chief operating officer Shafqat Naghmi will discuss the tour with CA chief executive James Sutherland next week in Kuala Lumpur, when cricket countries meet to plan future tours.
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is advising Australians to reconsider visiting Pakistan because of the "very high threat" of terrorist attack, sectarian violence and unpredictable security.
"These attacks could target Western or Australian interests and individuals and places frequented by foreigners," said an advisory on its website.
"These attacks could occur at any time. Attacks may be launched anywhere in Pakistan, including major cities."
AAP
Source: Pakistan tour in serious jeopardy
