Senior Australian players refuse to play in Pakistan

Sydney, Jul 7 (UNI) Leading Australian cricketers have decided to opt out of the team for the Champions trophy if it is to be played in Pakistan.

The players have informed the Cricket Australia (CA) that they will not like to travel to Pakistan to play the tourney.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, senior players have also informed their team mates that they will be pulling out of the squad for the Champions Trophy even if Cricket Australia (CA) gives a green signal.

The paper said the bomb blast near the Lal Masjid in the Pakistani capital has created a panic among the players.

According to the daily, the report of the CA's security adviser Reg Dickason, who returned from Pakistan last week after an inspection, have not been revealed.

However, it was understood that the security personnel are concerned about the fact that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) cannot guarantee cleared roads between team hotels and stadia throughout the tournament.

Meanwhile, chief executive of the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations (FICA) Tim May was quoted as saying that the situation in Pakistan was still very much in turmoil since they abandoned their tour of south Asian nation in March.

''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,'' May added.

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