'Major concerns' with Pakistan security - Smith

Graeme Smith, the South African captain, says his players have expressed major reservations about playing the Champions Trophy in Pakistan this September. His comments are the latest voicing player concern over security in Pakistan after the ICC confirmed on Thursday that the tournament would remain in that country.

South Africa toured Pakistan last October for a Test and ODI series and Smith said the security situation had worsened considerably since then, when a state of emergency was declared just days after their departure.

"From the players' point of view, we do have major concerns with security in Pakistan," Smith told Sapa . "A lot has happened in Pakistan, from a security point of view, since we were there and those are things that are worrying us. Generally, that's a full-player view. I don't know any players who don't have issues with regards to security in Pakistan.

"There were bombings taking place in Karachi and bombings are taking place in Lahore now. Within three days (of us returning home), there was a state of emergency so we have seen how quickly things can develop."

Smith echoed the views of Tony Irish, the chief executive of the South African Cricketers' Association, who said yesterday the players were disappointed with the ICC's decision and also hoped Cricket South Africa (CSA) would seriously consider whether to send a team to the Champions Trophy or not. Smith said he would leave the players association and Gerald Majola, CSA's chief executive, to take the final decision.

"We have people working on that whom we trust, Tony Irish from the players' association and Gerald," Smith said. "We are in constant communication with them on how we feel as players. We trust them to make the right decisions."

David Collier, the ECB's chief executive, said senior players in the England squad will be consulted and shown the security reports ahead of an ECB meeting on August 4.

"We will want to have a very robust review of that (security) plan," Collier said. "We're in very close touch, not only with the Professional Cricketers Association, but directly with all the players. It's very important that we are in very, very close contact over this period and clearly other boards around the world are in the same position."

Heath Mills, the chief of the New Zealand Cricket Players Association, did not even approve of sending a second-string team for the tournament and said that the decision should not be left to the players. ""This is an international security issue," Mills told Sunday Star Times. "It shouldn't be something left in the hands of the younger, less experienced and more vulnerable players. Of course they'll feel under pressure to take the chance. It's totally irresponsible to put them in that position."