ISLAMABAD, June 17: Ray Mali, President of the International Cricket Council (ICC), while acknowledging Pakistani fans’ passion for the game of cricket on Tuesday, expressed that the successful organisation of the Asia Cup by the country’s board will determine the holding of the Champions Trophy later this year.

“The successful holding of the Asia Cup by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will be the barometer for the ICC Champions Trophy,” Mali, who arrived here on Tuesday to review the preparations being made for the Champions Trophy, said while talking to the media at the Islamabad airport.

Highlighting the passion of Pakistan fans Mali said people here love cricket and hence the Champions Trophy, to be held from Sept 11 to 28, was awarded to Pakistan. However, he added that the final decision will be made at the ICC executive committee meeting that will be held in Dubai on June 29.

Rejecting the impression that the event may not go as per decided by the ICC, Mali said he is convinced that the Champions Trophy, regarded as cricket’s biggest contest after the World Cup, should go on as per the schedule.

The ICC delegation is visiting Pakistan to attend the Champions Trophy official launching ceremony in Lahore.

About his visit to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore, the top official said the academy didn’t impress him when he visited it in 2003. However, he stated, the NCA has improved greatly, adding that Pakistan have the talented string being prepared at the academy.

Meanwhile, PCB Chairman Dr Nasim Ashraf, who accompanied Mali, asserted that all the security arrangements have been completed for the Asia Cup and the Champions Trophy.

Meanwhile, a PCB official said that Mali, along with other ICC officials, will visit the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Wednesday to inspect the venue facilities for the Champions Trophy.

Five matches of the Champions Trophy will be played in Rawalpindi including a semi-final on Sept 25.

A high-level security briefing about the security measures taken for the two mega events, by the Ministry of Interior, will also be given to the ICC president, the PCB official concluded.

Our sports reporter adds from Lahore: Before reaching Islamabad on Tuesday, Mali said in Lahore that the Champions Trophy was a good event for Pakistan which hadn’t staged much contests at the international level for some time.

“I am excited about this Champions Trophy. This country (Pakistan) has been starved off good cricket for some time and this Champions Trophy is remedy for this,” Mali told journalists in a brief chat after having a meeting with Dr Nasim Ashraf at the Gaddafi Stadium here on Tuesday.

Mali, leading a 10-member ICC delegation, reached Lahore on a five-day tour in the wee hours of Tuesday to inspect three venues of the Champions Trophy (Gaddafi Stadium, Pindi Stadium, Rawalpindi and National Stadium, Karachi).

Meanwhile, the ICC delegation in which officials belonging to marketing, commercial, security and communication are included, held a meeting on different affairs at the Event Director office at Cricket House and later inspected the facilities at the Gaddafi Stadium.

The College’s End of the stadium is still under construction but the PCB officials hope that it would be completed well before the Champions Trophy.

David Richardson, ICC acting chief executive, is to join the delegation on Wednesday and he with PCB’s Chief Operating Officer Shafqat Naghmi will address a press conference.