It was on the cards anyway.
**Pakistan not to host 2009 Champions Trophy
**
The ICC has decided to move the postponed 2009 Champions Trophy out of Pakistan due to several members expressing reservations about touring the troubled country, during the second day of the ICC board meeting in Perth. The location of the event has yet to be finalised by the ICC, and a decision is expected before the tournament’s next scheduled meeting, in April.
“It is unfortunate the ICC Champions Trophy will not take place in Pakistan due to circumstances completely beyond the control of the PCB,” said Haroon Lorgat, the ICC chief executive. “However, the board has accepted the need for certainty in planning for and delivering a world-class event and will now assess where the event should be held.”
The tournament was postponed from the original September 2008 slot after a number of countries raised concerns over touring Pakistan due to security concerns. It was then decided that a security review of India’s tour in January would form the basis of another assessment before the tournament was cleared.
In December, the PCB had expressed confidence that India’s decision to cancel their tour to Pakistan was unlikely to affect the country’s status as hosts of the Champions Trophy. It is now evident that the ICC was not influenced by India’s decision not to tour, which was seen as a political decision.
The ICC will send a delegation to visit Pakistan and work with the PCB to find ways to bring back international cricket. Pakistan has struggled to attract touring teams for a number of years owing to their concerns over its security. Two home series, against Australia and West Indies, were relocated in the aftermath of the 9/11 bombings in America in 2001, and Australia also postponed their full tour of Pakistan this year. India then pulled out of a tour in the aftermath of the Mumbai terrorist strikes, following which Sri Lanka agreed to a split tour early this year.
Managing security and terrorism intelligence has been high on the agenda for the ICC, and it was believed that the attacks on Mumbai and the troubled security situation in Pakistan which led to the postponement of the Champions Trophy may have also prompted the ICC to consider extending the purview of the Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU).
The Champions Trophy is expected to rake in around US $40 million, most of which will be redeployed for the development of the game.
