By Aroonim Bhuyan, IANS,
Dubai : The International Cricket Council (ICC) is awaiting a security report of the ongoing Asia Cup in Pakistan before it can take any decision on holding the Champions Trophy there in September.
“We are taking this step by step,” ICC chief executive Dave Richardson said at a press conference here Thursday, after the conclusion of the second day of the board meeting.
“We will get a security report on the Asia Cup in the next 10 days and then we can decide,” he added.
Richardson’s comments came in the wake of several players from Australia, New Zealand and England expressing fears about going there, citing the security situation in Pakistan.
Tim May, chief executive of the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA), had criticised the decision to hold the Champions Trophy in Pakistan and expressed security fears.
“FICA is very concerned about the inherent risks of holding such an event in Pakistan in such a landscape of unrest and volatility and opposition to Western countries,” he was quoted as saying.
On Thursday, Richardson said: “We are keeping the Australian cricketers as well as FICA informed about the security situation in Pakistan.”
Asked if the ICC had any alternative venue in mind in case the tournament was not held in Pakistan, he said: “As of now, Sri Lanka.”