Champions Trophy still in trouble as Australia lead boycott threat

Australia and New Zealand have not ruled out boycotting the Champions Trophy even after the International Cricket Council’s decision to push ahead...

Australia and New Zealand have not ruled out boycotting the Champions Trophy even after the International Cricket Council’s decision to push ahead with hosting it in Pakistan despite safety concerns. “The fundamental principle for us is that we don’t send players or staff somewhere that isn’t safe,” Cricket Australia spokesman Peter Young said.

Young said CA would wait until the last assessment of the ICC’s new security taskforce comes back on August 10 before making a final decision, and had not set a deadline for “no-go” date. “We want to satisfy ourselves with independent rigour… and unless we’re satisfied, we can’t send a team,” Young said.

“Our track record speaks for itself,” Young said. “We have previously made difficult decisions — we’ve pulled out of going to Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe on occasions when safety has been an issue.”

Second string tournament?

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Australian Cricketers Association chief Paul Marsh said he could not recommend any players tour Pakistan and urged CA to take the same stand. “The sad part about all of this is that the Champions Trophy looks like it’s going to disintegrate into a second rate event.”

New Zealand Players’ Association head Heath Mills said touring Pakistan had met with unanimous disapproval from his players. “There isn’t one player I have spoken to who is comfortable about traveling to Pakistan at the moment,” he said. “If we compromise on player safety for commercial considerations or politics then in my view we might as well pack up our bags and go home.”

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