Fears grow over Champions Trophy boycott

If the Champions Trophy goes ahead then it will be against a backdrop of intense security.

Despite assurances from the Pakistan board that all is well, there are increasing signs that a number of players are considering boycotting September's ICC Champions Trophy amid fears over their safety.

"We've been hearing though the media that there may be concerns among some of the players about the Champions Trophy," Zakir Khan, the PCB's director of cricket operations, said yesterday. "But we are not taking any of it seriously unless there is an official confirmation from the boards of those countries."

However, it emerges that England's players are in close contact with their Australian counterparts, and the ICC appears to be facing the real possibility that the tournament, which is far from popular with players and public, could be hit by a wave of boycotts.

"The Aussies have already come out and expressed their concerns," one senior England player was quoted as saying in the Daily Telegraph. "I'm not a big fan of going to Pakistan. I just hope it won't be us players who get left to make the decision in the end."

Australia's cricketers have also been expressing concerns. Earlier this year, Australia postponed a scheduled tour of Pakistan on safety grounds and the general view in the dressing room seems to be that the situation remains unaltered. "We don't know if we're going, and if we do go, we don't know if individuals are going to pull out," Ricky Ponting said. "But what we know right now is, yes, there is some apprehension amongst some of the players and that was stated last summer. I don't think that would have changed until now."

New Zealand are also among those watching with interest. Justin Vaughan, the chief executive of New Zealand Cricket, will fly to London next week to discuss his players' concerns over touring Pakistan for a short ODI series just before the Champions Trophy.

"If the Australians have got concerns, I'm sure a lot of other teams will as well," Daniel Vettori, their captain, admitted. "I was there when the bomb went off outside our hotel. Then I went back a year later and the security they put forward was immense, and almost overwhelming. I did feel safe throughout that time."

A security expert will travel to Pakistan next week and his report is expected to be submitted to the ECB and Cricket Australia soon after. Other boards may well look at the results with more than a passing interest.

The official line from the ICC, underlined by bullish comments from its president, Ray Mali, is that all is well and there are no problems, but privately concerns are growing, not least because Sri Lanka is the back-up venue should Pakistan be deemed unsafe. Many players would only be marginally happier switching there given the country's issues.