ENGLAND today welcomed the postponement of next month's Champions Trophy in Pakistan after security fears forced the International Cricket Council into decisive action.


Task forces were dispatched to Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and England in a bid to assuage their concerns over security in the Asian country but the eight-team event has been put off for 13 months.

It was scheduled to be held between September 12-28 but will now be pencilled in for October 2009.

South Africa had already pulled out because of security concerns while players' associations from England, Australia and New Zealand all advised against participation.

“Players voiced their concerns from all around the world,” said England captain Kevin Pietersen.

“All the players I know personally from other countries have expressed their concerns in terms of safety and security. It was good that this decision was taken out of our players' hands.”

England's one-day squad were addressed by ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat in Scotland last weekend as the authorities sought to assure teams of the presidential-standard security which would be implemented.

While some individuals might have been less keen to travel than others, however, earlier this week, Karachi-born England batsman Owais Shah conceded the entire squad had reservations.

“Over the last couple of weeks it has been a huge topic of conversation in the dressing room,” Pietersen added.

“And last Sunday's briefing was a huge talking point. This whole week there has been ifs and buts and dos and don'ts.

“What was said was said behind closed doors in terms of who did and who didn't.

“I don't want to say anything about what was said in that situation. We spoke to the board and they made their recommendations when they reported back to the ICC.”

Pietersen added: “What I said to the team was to put it to the back of our minds because the most important thing for us is the one-day series with South Africa, and that means standing up to be counted on Tuesday.

“This is a huge decision and cricket can now take priority again.”

The decision to postpone was supported by the England and Wales Cricket Board, who were involved in the teleconference held from Dubai earlier today.

“The ECB board made it clear to ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat at a meeting at Lord's last week that ECB had a duty of care for England players and officials as well as a desire to ensure the interests of the media and spectators were not compromised,” said ECB chairman Giles Clarke.

“The ECB explained their reservations and security concerns about staging the tournament in the aftermath of the resignation of the Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf last Monday.

“These concerns were shared by four other competing countries at the teleconference.

“The ECB board recognises the outstanding efforts of the Pakistan Cricket Board in attempting to mitigate the risks surrounding the Champions

Trophy tournament and I will be meeting with the incoming chairman of the PCB, once an appointment is made, to discuss ways that our two boards can work together in the future.”

Although Sri Lanka was named as the official back-up venue last winter, Pakistan has maintained the opportunity to hold the rescheduled competition, and it is hoped the current instability has eased in the interim.

A spate of suicide bombings this week did little to aid Pakistan's cause.

“There was complete support and sympathy for the Pakistan Cricket Board and the situation it finds itself in, which is not of its making,” said ICC president David Morgan.

“However, there was also a realisation that, under the current circumstances, some of the teams due to compete in the ICC Champions Trophy had reservations about touring there which could not be removed.

“In those circumstances it was considered prudent to postpone the event to October 2009, a time when we all hope conditions may be more acceptable for all the competing teams.

“It was agreed Pakistan would retain the right to host the event next year but that if, at a certain time, any members still had reservations then the ICC's board would have the right to relocate the event.”

The PCB and ICC worked tirelessly to save the tournament, even altering the scheduling earlier this month to remove Rawalpindi as a venue, and leaving Lahore and Karachi as the two bases for the eight teams.

But serious doubts on its future arose when, on Friday, the South African board announced they would not be sending a team after advice from security experts and their own government.

Arrangements for the 2009 event will begin in the coming weeks.

“Every one of our members wishes to ensure the ICC Champions Trophy is a world-class event and the prospect of relocating it at short notice in order to make sure it was played this year would not allow that criterion to be fulfilled,” said Lorgat.