 English threaten to boycott Champions Trophy
21st Jun 2008 18:00 IST
Agencies
Senior England players have threatened to revolt against their Board and boycott the Champions Trophy, forging a common front with their Australian counterparts in expressing apprehensions over the security situation in Pakistan.
The International Cricket Council may be satisfied with the security situation in Pakistan "as of now" but English media reports said senior England players are unwilling to go by the governing body's assertions.
'Daily Telegraph' claimed that "messages have been bouncing back and forward between English and Australian players" in West Indies, for a concerted action on the issue.
"The Aussies have already come out and expressed their concerns. I'm not a big fan of going to Pakistan. I just hope it won't be us players who get left to make the decision in the end," an unnamed senior England player was quoted as saying by the newspaper.
According to the newspaper, security expert Reg Dickason, whom Cricket Australia was planning to send to Pakistan to assess the security situation there, will also report his findings to the English board.
Meanwhile, New Zealand Cricket CEO Justin Vaughan arrives in London next week to discuss his increasingly edgy players' concerns about touring Pakistan.
Australian captain Ricky Ponting fuelled the specter of players' boycott by admitting that some of his teammates were "apprehensive" about touring Pakistan.
England coach Peter Moores, however, played down the situation and said it had not yet been a topic of conversation.
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