KEY POINTS:
Players' associations from five of the eight countries to contest September's Champions Trophy in Pakistan are recommending its members don't go.
The International Cricket Board's decision early yesterday to stick with Pakistan as host for the game's second most important tournament has plunged New Zealand Cricket into a
crisis.
NZC were silent yesterday, preferring not to go public until they have had talks with the New Zealand Players' Association and among its own board.
Unless they can persuade their best players to go to Pakistan, NZC's choices are either to withdraw from the trophy _ which New Zealand won in Kenya in 2000 _ or send a weakened squad.
ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said yesterday that players or teams would not be penalised for not attending, but there is a US$10 million ($13.4 million) fine hovering over any countries which withdraw.
Players' Association manager Heath Mills, who attended security briefings ahead of the ICC's teleconference call on Thursday night, is staggered at the decision.
Mills confirmed that in addition to the players' representatives who were expected to have severe reservations _ England, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand _ the West Indies players' bosses are also recommending its members not go to Pakistan.
No vote was taken on whether to stick with Pakistan or switch to one of the two alternates, Sri Lanka or South Africa. ICC president David Morgan said the decision was reached by consensus.
"The bottom line is player safety and our position hasn't changed," Mills said last night. "We've seen all the security reports, spoken to the experts and our firm view is players should not be travelling to Pakistan at this point in time _ and that won't change when I meet New Zealand Cricket."
The decision heightened the risk of a significant split in world cricket.
Mills said it was important to have confidence that people running a sport are doing so with its best interests at heart _ "and I cannot see how the decision that's been made by that board is in cricket's best interests. They know a number of leading players will not attend".
If NZC decide to go to Pakistan they will check to see how many of their 20 contracted players are willing to travel.
Mills had a conference call with most of those contracted players during the week. Many have significant reservations _ remembering New Zealand's last tour to Pakistan ended with a bomb blast which killed 14 people outside their hotel in Karachi in 2002 _ and Mills had concerns over younger players being pressured to go to avoid risking losing their places in the squad.
"I don't believe this is a decision which should be put on the players to make. If the decision is hard, that's not a reason to put it in the hands of the individual players."
Morgan, who expects several countries to send depleted squads, said an eight-member task force is being sent to Pakistan to check security measures and it hoped to allay concerns among countries reluctant to travel.
"Once the task force comes to work, it could be New Zealand finds comfort in the work [of that group]," Morgan said.
Mills was bemused as to why another process was required but "we'll always keep an open mind, it would be irresponsible not to", without sounding convinced much fresh, favourable information would be forthcoming.
He stressed he had sympathy for NZC's position, likening it to being between "a rock and a hard place".
"Ultimately it's NZC's decision but I can't see how anybody could be comfortable, seeing what we've seen and hearing what we've heard, with the team being in Pakistan."
The Players' Association and NZC will meet next week to sort out the next move.
Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Nasim Ashraf yesterday thanked ICC members "for their wisdom and looking at the larger interest of the game".
"Pakistan remains a safe place to organise sports events and we hope it will be a world class event."
STATE OF PLAY
* The Champions Trophy one-day tournament is due to run from September 11-28 in Pakistan
* The International Cricket Council has endorsed Pakistan as host despite security concerns from several countries, including New Zealand
* New Zealand's players' association has recommended against going to Pakistan. Several players are known to be reluctant to tour
* The players' association will meet New Zealand Cricket officials next week
* NZC's options are to withdraw from the eight-team tournament or face the prospect of sending a depleted squadBY DAVID LEGGAT
