da esport bet： The Champions Trophy appears set to take place in Pakistan in Septemberwith Ray Mali publicly backing Pakistan’s ability to host the tournament
da bwin： Cricinfo staff17-Jun-2008
Tim May has slammed the decision to hold the Champions Trophy in Pakistan © AFP
The Champions Trophy appears set to take place in Pakistan in Septemberwith Ray Mali, the ICC president, publicly backing Pakistan’s ability to host the tournament a day before its official launch in Lahore. However, concerns over security continue with Tim May, chief executive of the Federation of InternationalCricketers’ Associations (FICA), saying the situation in Pakistan had not changed since Australia postponed a planned tour there in March.Mali, part of a ten-member delegation in Pakistan for the launch and to oversee the facilities at the tournament venues, said Pakistan’s experience in hosting such events will help them put up a good show in September. “The Asia Cup [which starts next week] will givePakistan an opportunity to rehearse for the Champions Trophy,” Mali said.The ICC delegation also held talks with the Pakistan Cricket Board over preparations for the event. “The ICC is launching the event in Lahore on Wednesday and that is an ample proof that there are no problems,” Nasim Ashraf, the PCB chairman, said. “We have made foolproof security arrangements for the event.”An ICC team of security experts visited Pakistan last month toassess whether the country was safe enough for hosting the ChampionsTrophy in September and were reportedly satisfied with thesecurity arrangements.That seems to have cut little ice with May, who believed “absolutely nothing haschanged” in the three months since Australia postponed their Pakistantour after safety concerns. “FICA is very concerned about the inherentrisks of holding such an event in Pakistan in such a landscape of unrestand volatility and opposition to Western countries,” he said. “FICA isnot alone in its concern regarding holding this event in Pakistan,compounded by the timing of the event in terms of the religiouscelebration of Ramadan and the anniversary of the September 11 attacksin New York.”FICA along with other players’ associations, including the AustralianCricketers Association, will commission its own independent report,expected to be completed in a fortnight.Cricket Australia will bring up any concerns it has with the ICC’ssecurity assessment at the meeting of the ICC’s executive board in Dubailater this month. “The welfare of the Australian team and teammanagement is paramount,” Cricket Australia spokesman Peter Young said.”But we have a responsibility to world cricket and the continueddevelopment of the game as a global sport so we’d like to see thePakistan tour succeed.”While the Asian Cricket Council was satisfied with thesecurity arrangements in Pakistan for the upcoming Asia Cup, beginningnext week, New Zealand allrounder Jacob Oram had recently expressedconcerns over his team’s security ahead of their three-match ODIseries in Pakistan in late August.
