Cricket Australia is stuck between a rock and a hard place, facing a player revolt if they agree to play the Champions Trophy in Pakistan and facing a $10 million fine if they don’t.
Tonight the 10 Test-playing nations will decide tonight whether to go ahead with the tournament in Pakistan, with Australia’s administrators already in a difficult position.
Australian players – as well as players from England, New Zealand and South Africa – have suggested they could boycott matches scheduled in Pakistan over security fears.
Those players want the tournament relocated, but such a move would require seven of the 10 national bodies to agree to shift the event.
India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the West Indies have all expressed their desire for Pakistan to host the Champions Trophy.
If the tournament is not relocated and Australia withdraws, it faces a $10 million fine from the International Cricket Council and the fury of the powerful Asian cricketing nations.
Cricket Australia’s Peter Young told The Australian: “We don’t go anywhere that’s not safe. Our track record speaks for itself.”
The ICC has refused to guarantee players would be safe in Pakistan, but says it would not be able to guarantee player safety “anywhere in the world”.
