KEY POINTS:
New Zealand Cricket is talking with the New Zealand Cricket Players Association about player safety and security concerns after Pakistan were re-affirmed as hosts for the Champions Trophy.
The International Cricket Council announced today (NZT) the strife-torn country would keep the eight-team tournament.
NZC chief executive Justin Vaughan
said in a statement he would discuss player concerns with the NZC board as well as the safety and security reports upon which the decision was based.
There would be no further public comment from NZC until those discussions had taken place, he added.
New Zealand players are unhappy Pakistan has kept the tournament, players association head Heath Mills said today.
Players from Australia, New Zealand, England and South Africa have voiced concern about going to the September tournament.
India, Sri Lanka and the West Indies are also competing.
World cricket powers had put player safety in the back seat, Mills said.
"We believe this is a poor ICC decision...we can't see how they have put player safety as their No 1 priority and this is very disappointing," he told Radio Sport.
Recent information had not convinced the association to change its recommendation that Pakistan was an unsafe workplace for its members, Mills said.
"Our recommendation to our players is not to travel to Pakistan at this point in time.
"There isn't one player I have spoken to who is comfortable about travelling to Pakistan at the moment."
Mills said the association hoped players would not be asked to make individual decisions over whether to withdraw because that would be unfair.
"We have a number of young and fringe players in the team and they won't feel comfortable about opting out of the tour.
"It's all right for the top five, six seven players who are comfortable about their place in the side.
"A lot of the guys have strong views about not wanting to travel to Pakistan.
"We believe this needs to be a collective decision made by NZ Cricket with our recommendation taken into account."
The association would now need to discuss the situation with NZC over the next two or three days.
"We have to work out with NZC what the situation is for them, what they are faced with in terms of fines or penalties - I'm not sure where that stands at the moment.
"I understand there has been some reports that players or teams won't be fined if they don't go to Pakistan so we need to get some clarity about that."
Mills said the association was not in a position to compromise on the issue of workplace safety.
It did not consider Pakistani authorities could consistently implement security measures and plans.
"There are a significant number of incidents occurring in Pakistan at the moment and we think there is very real potential one of those incidents will impact on the team while they are in Pakistan."
- NZPA
