August 08, 2008	Friday	Sha’aban 5, 1429

MELBOURNE, Aug 7: The list of Australian cricketers jittery about going to Pakistan for next month’s Champions Trophy keeps getting longer with pacer Mitchell Johnson becoming the latest to join the band of players undecided on travelling to the troubled nation.

Johnson said he would wait for Cricket Australia’s final decision on the matter but refused to say whether he would play in the eight-nation event next month if given a go-ahead by CA.

“I still stick with Cricket Australia and the ACA. They still haven’t made a decision on Pakistan so until that time comes, we’ll see what happens,” Johnson was quoted as saying by ‘The Australian Associated Press’.

On being pressed on the issue and his stand in case CA gives a green signal, Johnson said “I think I’m going to wait until they say so and then make that decision on that day.”

A number of Australian cricketers, including skipper Ricky Ponting, are apprehensive about going to Pakistan.

Johnson said safety was of paramount importance no matter which country they play in. “We want to go over and play in safety, we want to make sure that we’re safe when we’re playing in any country, so it’s not just Pakistan, it’s any country,” Johnson said.

“As long as we’re safe and we’ve been guaranteed that all the security measures are right and so and so, then there’s no reason why we can’t go,” he added.—Agencies