SYDNEY, July 28: The ICC’s decision to let Pakistan host the Champions Trophy in September has been described as being stage-managed while downplaying the risk of terrorist attacks in the country.

Cricketers Association chief Tim May said the ICC’s 20-question answer sheet was “irresponsible” because it compared Pakistan’s security to India’s and Spain’s, while security experts considered Pakistan significantly more dangerous.

“It is a mischievous attempt by the ICC to compare the two events. There is a vast difference. In Jaipur, there was no intelligence of further attacks. In this case, there is a well-documented history against Westerners in most cities of Pakistan ... The reference to Jaipur was irresponsible,” the age.com.au quoted him as saying.

The ICC executives were also instructed to say that the Champions Trophy could still go ahead if players pulled out because the Twenty20 World Championship, held in South Africa, was a success even though many key players were missing.

PCB Chairman Dr Nasim Ashraf said at the weekend he was not worried about the prospect of top players pulling out. “If some players do not come it would not make any difference. It would be their loss to miss a mega event.”

But, May said that if senior players decided not to play, then it would affect the tournament: “We must remember the players they listed were all Test players and who are not in the scheme of things when it comes to Twenty20 cricket.

“In this case, we are talking of players who will rightly be part of the squads because of their value in the 50-over game. So if they refuse to take part, it will definitely affect the tournament. This attempt to dress up the whole thing is ridiculous.”

May said he would go to Pakistan as part of ICC’s taskforce on security in Pakistan, and would deal with the concerns of the cricketers.

Meanwhile, as more and more cricketers voice their concern over security in the strife-torn Pakistan for the Champions Trophy in September, Australian express pacer Brett Lee is not the one to jump the gun.

While his other Australian teammates Andrew Symonds and Mathew Hayden have been vociferous in expressing their reluctance to travel to Pakistan because of security fears, Lee says he would prefer to wait before taking a decision.

“The talks on the Champions Trophy keep changing every week. People keep talking about their decision whether they will tour Pakistan or not. But I am yet to form a perspective on the matter. We go by the decisions of Cricket Australia (CA), Australian Cricket Association (ACA) and the security agencies,” Lee said.

“I will wait for an official word, only then I will be able to from my perspective. I would rather go by the people on ground and hear what they have to say,” he added.

CA has said it will not force players to play in Pakistan with International Cricket Council (ICC) chief executive Haroon Lorgat saying that no player opting to pull out would be penalised, nor would their respective boards. Even CA chief executive James Sutherland said that the usual fine for pulling out of a series would not apply in this case.—Agencies