July 14, 2008	Monday	Rajab 10, 1429

SYDNEY, July 13: Cricket Australia (CA) is yet to consider the position of players who refuse to tour Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy.

James Sutherland, the CA chief executive, said the board was currently interested in understanding the security issues and concerns and about whether the tournament will go ahead.

“Then we get down to the decision for us as to whether we’re comfortable,” Sutherland told The Age.

Australia have till Aug 15 to name their final squad for the Champions Trophy and Sutherland expects to have a better picture of the situation by then.

“We have a high level of confidence in the consultants that have been engaged to work with ICC and the authorities in Pakistan. Now it is a matter of getting a better understanding in the coming couple of weeks from those consultants of how successful that implementation has been,” Sutherland said.

Countries briefed at International Cricket Council meetings in Dubai were told of some areas of concern in security arrangements for Asia Cup, which was considered by organisers as a dress rehearsal for Champions Trophy.

“We have high level of confidence in consultants that have been engaged to work with ICC and authorities in Pakistan. Now it is a matter of getting a better understanding in coming couple of weeks from those consultants of how successful that implementation has been,” Sutherland added.

Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds has expressed his reservations over touring Pakistan, a country that in the past year has had a state of emergency imposed on it, suffered the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, followed by riots and bomb attacks on two of its cities.

But other players, including Shane Watson and Nathan Hauritz, have said they will be happy to play anywhere as long as they get to represent Australia.

Earlier this year Australia postponed their tour of Pakistan due to security concerns. They are now scheduled to visit the country for bi-lateral series in 2009 and 2010.—Agencies