SYDNEY, May 19: Mark Waugh has joined the growing band of senior Australian cricketers refusing to tour Pakistan because of security fears, raising more doubts over whether the tour will proceed.

Waugh said he expected the tour would be called off but if it wasn’t he would follow the lead of other senior players including Steve Waugh, Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Adam Gilchrist by refusing to go.

“I wouldn’t go, I think it’s too dangerous, life is much more important than cricket,” said Waugh, in a television interview broadcast in Australia Sunday.

“Common sense and gut feeling says it’s too dangerous a place to be. If you’re in the wrong place at the wrong time you don’t know what might happen.”

The Australians, named last week as the world’s best sports team in 2001, are scheduled to visit Pakistan in September and October but the tour is in doubt following a suicide bombing in Karachi earlier this month killed 14 people and forced the New Zealand team to immediately abandon the remainder of their two-Test tour.

The Australian Cricket Board (ACB) said it was monitoring the situation before making a final decision but was already looking into the possibility of playing at a neutral venue.

Waugh said he expected the tour to Pakistan would be called off but said the players would support playing at a neutral venue.

“I don’t think the tour will go ahead and I don’t think it should go ahead but it’s not up to me,” Waugh said.

“It’s up to the ACB and the Pakistan Cricket Board to work it out...but realistically it doesn’t look like it will go ahead.”—Reuters