SYDNEY, Aug 25: The Australian cricket team is “passionately keen” to tour Pakistan in April next year, despite the postponement of next month’s Champions Trophy tournament over security concerns.

Cricket Australia (CA) is “desperately hoping” political turmoil in Pakistan eases in time for the scheduled 2009 tour, which would be Australia’s first to Pakistan since 1998, CA spokesman Peter Young said on Monday.

Australia was scheduled to travel to Pakistan earlier this year, but that tour was postponed because of civil unrest caused by the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

Under a revised itinerary, Australia will travel to Pakistan for five One-day Internationals and a Twenty20 match in April, before returning in 2010 for a three-Test series.

“What we’re all hoping now is the situation in Pakistan allows us to go there next year,” Young said. “We’re passionately keen to be able to do that.”

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Sunday postponed the Champions Trophy until October next year in the face of a possible boycott by Australia, New Zealand, England and South Africa due to security situation.

Young said the future of the scheduled tour would depend on advice Australia received from security experts.

Meanwhile, acting Australia captain Michael Clarke welcomed the ICC decision.

“It’s a great result for all the players just to find out whether we’re going or not going,” Clarke said on Monday. “I think all the guys are happy now we know now that ICC, Cricket Australia and ACA [Australian Cricketers’ Association] would make a decision and they’ve finally done that.”

New Zealand cricket officials also welcomed the decision.

Justin Vaughan, the New Zealand Cricket chief executive, said: “The security situation in Pakistan has deteriorated during the year and postponement was the right decision.”

The move came two days after South Africa refused to send their team, while players’ associations from New Zealand, Australia and England urged their players not to travel to the troubled country.

Vaughan said he hoped the tournament could be held in Pakistan next year if security concerns waned.

“By postponing the tournament, there is time for the security situation in Pakistan to improve or for a suitable alternative venue to be chosen,” he said.

Meanwhile, England and Wales Cricket Board chairman Giles Clarke praised the postponement.

Security concerns had surrounded the upcoming tournament and Clarke felt that time was needed to allow the situation to cool down.

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

“These concerns were shared by four other competing countries at the teleconference. ECB board recognises outstanding efforts of PCB in attempting to mitigate risks surrounding the tournament. I will be meeting with incoming chairman of PCB to discuss ways that our two boards can work together in future.”

Professional Cricketers’ Association chairman, Dougie Brown, has voiced his concerns that the tournament will actually drop off international calendar.

“I don’t know how they can possibly reschedule it, because you have to have a window of opportunity for all cricketing nations to be available to play at a given stage next year.

“I would have thought it is highly unlikely to happen. To find time to play major tournaments when they have been cancelled for whatever reason I would think is nigh on impossible.”—Agencies