The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Sunday postponed until next year the Champions Trophy in Pakistan over security fears.
The move came two days after South Africa refused to send their team, while players’ associations from Australia, New Zealand and England urged their players not to travel to the troubled country over security concerns.
The decision to postpone the event was taken after a teleconference of the ICC executive board in Dubai on Sunday. The trophy will now be staged in October 2009, it said.
”The ICC Board agreed unanimously to postpone the ICC Champions Trophy, scheduled to take place in Pakistan next month, until October 2009,” the ICC said in a statement.
The board would meet again next month to discuss the details of the postponement, it said adding that Pakistan kept the hosting rights.
”Pakistan will retain the right to host the tournament but it was agreed that if other members continued to express reservations over issues of safety and security then the ICC board would have the right to decide about the tournament’s location,” the statement said.
ICC president David Morgan said the decision was made only after teams showed reservations.
”There was complete support and sympathy for Pakistan and the situation it finds itself in, which is not of its making. However, there was also a realisation that, under the current circumstances, some of the teams due to compete had reservations about touring there which could not be removed,” said Morgan.
”In those circumstances it was considered prudent to postpone the event to October 2009, a time when we all hope conditions may be more acceptable for all the competing teams.”
ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said the relocation of the event to alternate venues in Sri Lanka was not possible.
”Every one of our members wishes to ensure the Champions Trophy is a world-class event and the prospect of relocating it at short notice in order to make sure it was played this year would not allow that
criterion to be fulfilled,” said Lorgat who took over last month.
”Sunday’s agreement provides clarity for our members and in September we will look to put in place a timeframe for arrangements ahead of the event taking place in 2009.”
The ICC board consists of the chairperson or president from each of the 10 full members plus three associate member representatives.
Pakistan Cricket Board chief operating officer Shafqat Naghmi said the decision of postponement is a sort of victory for Pakistan.
”We are naturally disappointed but in a way the postponement is a victory for us. Under these circumstances there were only two solutions: either to relocate the event to Sri Lanka or postpone it.
”Had it been relocated it would have deprived us of the hosting rights,” Naghmi said from Islamabad.
”We are sure that the event will be held in Pakistan next year.”
The ICC desperately tried to convince the wavering nations by sending two security task teams to Australia, New Zealand, England and South Africa but they failed to allay the fears.
Naghmi thanked the ICC for its support.
”We are thankful to the ICC for their support and to India who backed us in all these matters,” said Naghmi.
The event, scheduled to be held from September 12 to 28, had ran into trouble after Australia postponed their full tour to Pakistan over security fears triggered in the wake of suicide bombings earlier this year.
England, New Zealand and South Africa also expressed concerns over security for the biennial competition following a wave of suicide bombings and political instability in nuclear-armed Pakistan. – AFP
