The ICC Board today agreed unanimously to postpone the ICC Champions Trophy, scheduled to take place in Pakistan next month, until October 2009.
The agreement was reached during a telephone hook-up of ICC Directors.
It was further agreed that the Board would meet in September 2008 to discuss the details of the postponement.
Pakistan will retain the right to host the tournament but it was agreed that if other Members continued to express reservations over issues of safety and security then the ICC Board would have the right to decide about the tournament’s location.
ICC President David Morgan said: “There was complete support and sympathy for the Pakistan Cricket Board and the situation it finds itself in, which is not of its making.
“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.”
ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said: “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.
“Today’s agreement provides clarity for our Members and in September we will look to put in place a timeframe for arrangements ahead of the event taking place in 2009.”
The agreement was reached during a telephone hook-up of ICC Directors.
It was further agreed that the Board would meet in September 2008 to discuss the details of the postponement.
Pakistan will retain the right to host the tournament but it was agreed that if other Members continued to express reservations over issues of safety and security then the ICC Board would have the right to decide about the tournament’s location.
ICC President David Morgan said: “There was complete support and sympathy for the Pakistan Cricket Board and the situation it finds itself in, which is not of its making.
“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.”
ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said: “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.
“Today’s agreement provides clarity for our Members and in September we will look to put in place a timeframe for arrangements ahead of the event taking place in 2009.”
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