Pakistan's plea to Australia: don't boycott tournament

A PLAYER boycott would not only tarnish the Champions Trophy but also further alienate Australia's cricketers from the Pakistan public, many of whom believe the team has "overblown" security concerns regarding the country, it has been claimed.

Shafqat Naghmi, chief operating officer of the Pakistan Cricket Board, said local supporters were "very disappointed" Australia had not played in Pakistan for more than a decade, and implored Cricket Australia and the players to participate in the Trophy in September.

Several leading Australian players have expressed concern over travelling to a nation they deem to be volatile and unsafe. The Australians' security adviser, Reg Dickason, will leave the team in St Vincent this week to attend the Asia Cup in Pakistan — considered a dress rehearsal for the Champions Trophy — after which he will report to Cricket Australia and the England and Wales Cricket Board on security.

Naghmi, though, was adamant players and staff from all nations competing in the Champions Trophy would be safe. "Yes, it would certainly be disappointing if the defending champions were not at full strength, so it is up to their board to convince them otherwise," he said. "They would be hurting their own team. They have to weigh up their loyalty to their team, or pull (out) on account of a security concern that I can assure you is unfounded.

"I think they should take a leaf out of (Pakistan coach) Geoff Lawson's book. If terrorists had a point to prove, they could have targeted him or his Australian staff. But this hasn't been the situation, and I don't think 'sports terrorism' is on the list. The fans are very disappointed that Australia has not been here for 10 years now — especially when England, South Africa and New Zealand have toured — and there is a feeling among them that a lot of the security concerns have been blown out of proportion. That's not to say there is hostility towards them, just disappointment and a little frustration."

Naghmi was a leading figure in discussions with Cricket Australia that resulted in Australia's scheduled Test and one-day tour of Pakistan this year being postponed to 2009-10. After consultation with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Cricket Australia decided against touring Pakistan in February and March, due to the series' proximity to the nation's contentious general elections. Several players, most notably Andrew Symonds, had foreshadowed they would not have toured Pakistan, even if the series had been cleared by Cricket Australia and DFAT.

Cricketers and players' unions from England and NZ have also stated safety fears, creating the possibility that the tournament could be decimated by player boycotts.

Australian captain Ricky Ponting said on Saturday that there had been no movement on the issue of whether to tour.