June 20, 2008	Friday	Jamadi-us-Sani 15, 1429

BRIDGETOWN, June 19: Captain Ricky Ponting admits Australian cricketers remain apprehensive about touring Pakistan as fears of a player boycott for September’s Champions Trophy continue to grow.

International Cricket Council (ICC) downplayed security concerns at event’s official launch on Wednesday in Lahore.

While admitting there had not yet been discussions about the issue during team’s West Indies tour, Ponting believed there was still some trepidation among his players — several of whom voiced their reluctance to tour Pakistan earlier this year, most notably Andrew Symonds.

“We don’t know if we’re going, and if we do go, we don’t know if individuals are going to pull out. But what we know right now is, yes, there is some apprehension among some of players and that was stated last summer,” he said.

“I don’t think that would have changed until now. It might change in coming weeks, if we get some good news from security reports over there, then individual’s mindset might change a little bit.

“What happened last summer was probably something that made us all sit back and think about it a little more. If Cricket Australia and players’ association decide that we go, then it will be an individual’s decision, as every tour is. But there will be some apprehension for sure.”

Ponting said it was not just the Australian team feeling uneasy about the situation. “I’m sure some of England players will have some concerns, as well as lot of New Zealand players who have been confronted with this stuff before, in Sri Lanka and Pakistan.”

“It just won’t be Australian players. There will be a few other teams who will be thinking long and hard if the tour does go ahead there,” Ponting said.—Agencies