Australian authorities will continue to monitor events in the region but this year's Test and one-day international tours of Pakistan appear in grave doubt after today's fatal bomb blast in Karachi.

In the wake of the explosion that led to the deaths of at least 13 people outside the touring New Zealand team's hotel in the city, the Australian Cricket Board (ACB) confirmed in a statement that it would continue to observe a time-honoured process in assessing safety conditions in foreign destinations ahead of its players' scheduled departure in August.

"With some months to go before we travel to Pakistan the situation is clearly quite fluid," said ACB Chief Executive, James Sutherland.

"Given the time frame it would be inappropriate to lock into a position today.

"The ACB will continue to receive advice from the relevant experts to help the Board make a proper judgement on the situation in Pakistan.

"I am also conscious of recent events that have affected international cricket in this region, and I will be speaking to the Pakistan Cricket Board as soon as possible about how Australia can help them in managing this situation," he said.

Sutherland also conceded, however, that New Zealand Cricket's decision today to immediately cancel its team's tour of the country fuelled his organisation with heightened concerns over Australia's potential visit.

"What has happened today in Pakistan has obviously caused significant concern to us," he said in an interview with Channel Ten.

"We have a pretty good process we work through ahead of tours and we're in the midst of that at the moment. But what has happened today obviously adds a layer of concern to that," he added, clarifying that while the ACB was keen for the tour to proceed, the security of its players remained paramount.

A withdrawal from the tour would make it Australia's second such decision within the space of six months, after it opted to cancel a trip to Zimbabwe as a result of political turmoil in that country. It also forfeited matches in Sri Lanka in the 1996 World Cup because of civil unrest.

Dates and venues for Australia's tour of Pakistan have yet to be finalised but it is likely that any such visit would be split into separate one-day international and Test campaigns on either side of September's ICC Champions Trophy tournament in Sri Lanka.

Speculation in both nations has centred on the possibility of either a two or three-Test series being held in the opening weeks of October, though neither of the two countries' Boards has been drawn into public comment on either the likely timing or number of games.

The one-day leg of the tour is due to involve a triangular series of matches staged as part of the Pakistan Cricket Board's Golden Jubilee Celebrations in early September.

The third country scheduled to compete in that series was New Zealand.

© 2002 CricInfo Ltd