‘Emerald Isle not safe for the Kiwis’

McMillan said it was a “tough decision” to make but he felt comfortable with it.

“I made a decision not to tour Sri Lanka following the events in Pakistan,” said McMillan. “The decision was made a lot easier through the support of New Zealand cricket and my family.”

New Zealand cricket chief executive Martin Snedden said McMillan, Horne and Walker made individual decisions not to go. “When deciding whether to attend the tournament the safety of the team was our top priority,” he said.

“We made a thorough assessment of risks to the team which included speaking to government agencies . . . to American, British and Australian foreign affairs staff and to check security arrangements.

“We have been advised that a cease-fire has been in place in Sri Lanka since February and the country is the most stable it has been for some time. There are extensive security processes in place to ensure the safety of the team.”

Last Friday, Australia pulled out of a three-Test series in Pakistan scheduled for October because the Australian Cricket Board feared for the team’s safety. In May, a bomb exploded outside a hotel in Karachi that was being used by New Zealand’s touring team. The blast did not injure any players but Left 14 people dead.

The final Test of New Zealand’s Pakistan tour was scrapped and the players flew home.

New Zealand has been pooled with Australia and Bangladesh for the tournament, cricket’s second biggest event after the World Cup

The September 12-29 tournament is the third in a series that began in Dhaka in 1998 and moved to Nairobi in 2000.

BNew Zealand