KARACHI, July 20: Hockey Australia on Thursday conveyed to the International Hockey Federation (FIH) their inability to take part in the Champions Trophy tournament scheduled to be held in Lahore in December.

Security situation in Pakistan has been termed as the reasons for their pull out from the showpiece hockey event.

This would be second time in three years that Australian hockey team will not be coming to play one of the major FIH events.

Earlier, in 2004, Olympic Champions Australia had also skipped the Champions Trophy on similar grounds.

The decision of Hockey Australia would be a major blow for Pakistan Hockey Federation and has come at a time when a Cricket Australia security delegation is already in Pakistan to evaluate facilities and security for their tour in January 2008.

Sources close to FIH added that the Spanish Hockey Federation may follow suit next week.

Interestingly, PHF Secretary Khalid Mahmood, in one of his statements recently, had said the teams should be allowed to pick and choose their participation in any of the events keeping in view the circumstances confronting them.

Khalid had expressed these views at the time when Pakistan refused to participate in the Asia Cup in India which is set to be held in September.—Agencies