KARACHI, Aug 8: Former Pakistan captain turned politician Imran Khan said Thursday Australian fears about touring Pakistan were genuine, but that cricket authorities in both countries should work towards resolving the issue for the sake of the game.

“Australian fears about touring Pakistan are genuine as the international media has sensationalised events in Pakistan, which can occur anywhere.

“But I think both (cricket) boards should resolve the matter amicably ... for the sake of cricket,” Imran said.

The fate of Australia’s Test tour to Pakistan in October hangs in the balance amid security fears, with leading Australian players refusing to play in a three-match series between Oct 1 and 24 which marks the 50th anniversary of Pakistan’s entry into international Test cricket.

“My friends call me from abroad and ask about my welfare because the picture they get is very dangerous and fearful. So I realise the Australians are not making lame excuses,” Imran said. “I think the series would be most interesting as Pakistan is the only team that can match Australia on talent, although Australia has the edge on temperament.”

Pakistan has already shifted its home tri-series, involving Australia and Kenya and to be played between Aug 29 and Sept 7, to Nairobi, Kenya.

Security fears have escalated with a grenade attack against a church in Islamabad in March, two bomb blasts in Karachi in May and June, and this week’s attack on a Christian school in Murree.

“The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) must explain the over-hype and convince the Australians to tour, and I see a fifty-fifty chance of the tour getting the green signal,” Imran said.

“Once both Boards decide to go ahead with the tour, venues with less risks should stage the matches. And, of course, the Pakistan president has assured full security,” he said.

President Pervez Musharraf talked to Australian Prime Minister John Howard by telephone last week and urged him to send his team.

Howard assured full cooperation, but said the final decision rested with the Australian Cricket Board.

PCB chairman Lt Gen Tauqir Zia said last week said he has 80 percent hopeful that the tour would go ahead.

Meanwhile, senior Australian Test batsman Mark Waugh Thursday voiced his unease about the tour.

Waugh, along with leading Australian players Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath, has already stated he does not want to tour Pakistan, although captain and Mark’s twin brother Steve said this week he would be happy to go if it were deemed safe.

“Obviously, what happened two days ago with the shooting at the international school puts a few more question marks over the tour,” Mark Waugh told a radio station in Melbourne.

ACB spokesman Pat O’Beirne said the latest attack “adds some currency” to advice the board is receiving from Australian government officials and the PCB.

“The tragic recent incident has increased concern about the tour,” O’Beirne said Thursday.

“We will continue to monitor our information over the next short while.”

There was no immediate word when the ACB would make its definitive judgment on whether to go through with the tour.

PCB director Chishty Mujahid has made a veiled threat of retaliation if Australia refuses to tour.

“In those circumstances Pakistan will have to rely on the support it has in the Asian cricket bloc to find a permanent solution to this problem of teams refusing to tour Pakistan on security grounds,” Chishty said.

Australia’s selectors have again excluded Steve and Mark Waugh for the triangular series.

The team, to be captained by Ricky Ponting, is due to fly to Kenya in late August.

An editorial in Melbourne’s Herald Sun Thursday called on the ACB to abandon the tour.

“The players and their families deserve an immediate decision from the board,” the newspaper said.

“Canberra has advised all Australians there to leave.

“It will be sad for both countries when the tour is abandoned.

“But as the ACB has noted, our team’s safety comes first.”—AFP/Reuters