I think the decision is wrong by ICC

[Mard]

ok i am pakistani but i really think the decision is wrong by ICC to have to the tournament in pakistan. The latest news is that Taliban are actually calling on attacks in major cities like karachi, lahore, islamabad. Now i am 100% sure that Taliban would know that they are having this tournament in Pakistan and they would definatly try their best to target the event. No matter how much security you provide there is no way they can watch all the players 24/7. So over all i think players are correct about their concerns. Pakistan is not a safe place, specially to have such a big announced tournament.

[masterblaster]

I swear, sometimes I think the ICC likes controversy. They could've had the tournament here in Australia and New Zealand or over in South Africa but they always make decisions that are always going to be controversial. A Champions Trophy in Australia and New Zealand would've been fantastic.

[_Ed_]

Agreed, although if they kept the same dates most of the games in NZ would be washed out!

[BoyBrumby]

I think Sri Lanka was the mooted alternate?

The trouble is (& this isn't a whinge, just a recognition of the real politik of the situation) that unless India want it changed, it won't happen.

The admirable Mike Selvey wrote a quietly scathing piece on the topic in The Guardian yesterday.

[chaminda_00]

Originally Posted by masterblaster

I swear, sometimes I think the ICC likes controversy. They could've had the tournament here in Australia and New Zealand or over in South Africa but they always make decisions that are always going to be controversial. A Champions Trophy in Australia and New Zealand would've been fantastic.

The real issue with the way the international calender is, the only place you can hold the tournment would be in the sub contintent. As it too early in the season to hold it in NZ, Australia or South Africa and too late to hold it in England or West Indies.

With India not wanting to hold to tournment and Bangladesh not being able to organise it properly with such short notice. Sri Lanka and Pakistan were the only two options from the Test playing nations.

Holding it in Sri Lanka would in theory create as much a security risk, if not more then Pakistan. Though with the short sighted nature of most boards and players they would have gone to Sri Lanka, due to out of sight, out of mind nature of security risk.

Personally though I think the best option would have been holding it in Malaysia and Singapore. Or any other minnow country, as it would actually help promote cricket in these countries by having the best players in the world there.

[Richard]

That being, of course, the original idea of the tournament, once it finally became an established I$C$C event in 1998/99 after years of being ad-hoc-ly arranged by various teams co-operating.

Hence it being held in Bangladesh and Kenya the first two editions.

[Burgey]

Interesting given the bombings in India over the weekend whether Australia will now look at security there before deciding whether to tour or not later in the year.