Skip to Content. Skip to Navigation.

News

 
 
Pakistan hails 'great' decision

Pakistan hails 'great' decision

25/07/2008 6:55 AM

Related Links

Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Nasim Ashraf hailed the 'great decision' made by the International Cricket Council on Thursday to allow the Champions Trophy to go ahead in the troubled nation as planned next month.

Players from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and England had said they would opt out of the tournament if it was held in Pakistan due to security concerns.

The ICC on Thursday confirmed the competition would nevertheless take place in Pakistan from September 11 to 28 and Ashraf believes his country will not let them down.

"It is a great decision keeping in mind that there should be unity and no division of the cricket world," he said.

An ICC task force will head to Pakistan prior to the tournament to evaluate security measures in the cities that will play host to matches - Rawalpindi, Lahore and Karachi.

"The ICC has decided to appoint a special task force which will visit Pakistan," Ashraf continued.

"We are committed to providing the kind of security which we have promised to the ICC and very soon the task team will tour Pakistan to ensure everything is in place."

"The task force will meet the top officials of the government and since there were concerns raised by some players of the member countries we will do everything to ensure that the best security is provided to all the stakeholders."

The decision was taken during an ICC Board teleconference on Thursday, during which the PCB offered assurances over the safety of competitors.

Concerns were raised over Pakistan's suitability to stage the tournament in the wake of a spate of bombings in the country, the most recent coming in June when a suicide bomber killed 15 people in the capital Islamabad.

Ashraf added: "Pakistan is a safe country to play cricket and the security firm of the ICC gave us 'A' grade in the arrangements made during the Asia Cup."

The Board of Control for Cricket in India, which is believed to have played a significant role in helping Pakistan keep the tournament, is also confident the PCB has taken 'every precaution to ensure security for the players'.

BCCI vice-president Ratnakar Shetty told Times Now: "We have always backed the Pakistan Cricket Board on the Champions Trophy."

"We always believed that they should be given an opportunity to host the tournament because they had taken all the steps necessary to ensure foolproof security."

Although Shetty could not comment on what transpired during Thursday's teleconference since he had not participated in it, he said the BCCI had stuck to their stance that Pakistan was safe for cricket.

"We were in Pakistan recently for the Asia Cup and we had conveyed to the ICC that the arrangements for the tournament were excellent and that they had taken every precaution to ensure security for the players," he said.

"There was a time in the past when the Indian government was also apprehensive about sending teams to play in Pakistan, especially in Karachi."

"But for the Asia Cup, we played and stayed even in Karachi. The arrangements made by the PCB were top class."

The ICC earlier on Thursday issued a statement confirming the tournament would go ahead in Pakistan as scheduled.

"The ICC Board today held a teleconference to discuss the location for this year's ICC Champions Trophy, at the end of which it reiterated its decision of 2006 to stage the event in

 
Photograph Copyright : Getty Images
Page12»

Latest Headlines

 
 
Aussies seal series
Aussies seal series
Cricket
06/09/2008 4:56 PM
Australia's bowlers have skittled Bangladesh for just 125 to win the third and final ...
 
 
Buchanan backs Lee
Cricket
05/09/2008 9:49 PM
 
Lee commits to India tour
Cricket
05/09/2008 4:51 PM
 
Roy still wanted
Cricket
05/09/2008 3:52 PM
 
Clark eyes sweep
Cricket
05/09/2008 3:12 PM
 
 
 

Your Say

 
 

Our Say

 
 
One more ton for the Don
Andrew Wu
This Wednesday will mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Sir Donald George Bradman.more
John Clark
Bangladesh will test Aussie mettle
John Clark
Australia will use the one-day series against Bangladesh to look into the future, but ...more