Symonds may pull out of Pakistan tour

Distressed by the turmoil in Pakistan Andrew Symonds says he is ‘seriously’ considering pulling out of next year's tour.

Distressed by the turmoil in Pakistan following former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s assassination, Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds says he is ‘seriously’ considering pulling out of next year’s tour to the troubled nation.

“I’m not interested in going into a situation that’s dangerous, where people are getting killed and hurt. There’s no point in that in my opinion,” Symonds was quoted as saying in the Daily Telegraph.

“I’m giving it some serious thought. At the end of the day, it’s a game of cricket. I take my cricket very seriously and I love playing for Australia but I’m not going to put myself in a situation where I can be harmed. There’s no need, not for a game of cricket,” he added.

Australia are scheduled to play three Tests, five ODIs and a twenty20 match in Pakistan in March but Bhutto’s assassination and the ensuing violence has cast a shadow of doubt over the series.

Although Cricket Australia (CA) has asserted that the tour will go ahead as scheduled, Symonds insists that players are a worried lot and in two minds about going to the sub-continental nation.

“There is obviously huge concern. After stumps (on day three against India), we watched the television report in the dressing room and the entire room stopped to listen to it,” he recalled.

“James Sutherland (Cricket Australia chief executive) was in the dressing room talking to Ricky (Ponting). I don’t know what it was about but I would say it had something to do with Pakistan.”