May 20, 2008	Tuesday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 14, 1429

KARACHI, May 19: An International Cricket Council (ICC) delegation has completed a security assessment of Karachi for this year’s Champions Trophy, an official said on Monday.

The four-member ICC team, which includes two security experts, arrived on Sunday and inspected the National Stadium and two other practice grounds for the biennial Champions Trophy to be held in Pakistan from Sept 11 to 28.

“We are here today to review security as per the normal protocol. Such tours are completely normal visits for all ICC events,” the ICC’s Campbell Jamieson told reporters after completing the visit.

The other members of the delegation are ICC member Bruce Ewan and two members of the ICC security consultant company from England — James Withington and Kean Steele.

The delegation had to cancel an earlier assessment mid-way through when a state of emergency was declared in Pakistan in November last year.

Early this year Australia also put off their March-April tour of Pakistan over security fears.

But since general elections in February and the formation of a new government security has improved in Pakistan, allowing Australia to reschedule their tour in 2009 and 2010.

The ICC delegation will also tour Lahore and Rawalpindi before submitting its report to the game’s governing body. Karachi will host five matches of the prestigious tournament including one semi-final.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has promised high-profile security for the eight teams participating in the Champions Trophy.

Pakistan is also hosting the six-nation Asia Cup in June-July this year.

Foreign teams have raised safety concerns over touring the country amid unrest since the Sept 11, 2001 incidents in the United States.

South Africa, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh have played in Pakistan in the past eight months.

South Africa played a three-day game and a five-day Test match in Karachi on their tour, which started in September last year.

But their last one-day match in the port city was shifted to Lahore after a blast targeting former prime minister Benazir Bhutto’s homecoming parade. Bhutto survived that blast but was later killed in a suicide attack in Rawalpindi on Dec 27.—AFP