Tauqir Zia, director Lieutenant-General of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), has said he would like to see Australia play in Pakistan despite safety concerns voiced by the Australian Cricket Board and some players. "Pakistan would lose the home advantage if the series against Australia is organised at a neutral venue and we would like to host Australia for both series," he "One can't do anything about suicide bombing. The incident in Karachi was one of those which was beyond anybody's control."

Pakistan face a tough task in attracting foreign teams after a suicide bomb-blast in Karachi on May 8 killed 14 people, 11 of them French naval officials. The blast, outside a hotel where the Pakistan and New Zealand team were staying, forced New Zealand to cancel the Karachi Test and cut short their tour by six days.

"Players were not the target and these type of terrorist attacks can happen anywhere in the world," Zia said. "There are countries like India and Sri Lanka where there are security problems, but international teams visit there and play cricket."

Australia are due in Pakistan in August for a one-day and in September-October for a Test, but the trips look unlikely to go ahead after several leading Australian players ruled out going to Pakistan.

Zia refused to comment on the Australian players' statements but said: "We would definitely see what we could do if they rule out playing in Karachi."

Pakistan had planned for all the one-day triangular series matches - the third team involved is New Zealand - to be held in Karachi but alternative venues are now being floated. It seems inconceivable that New Zealand would consider returning to Karachi. Pakistan stands to lose a huge sum of money if Australia refuses to tour and may incur losses if the series are played at neutral venues, perhaps in the Middle East or north Africa.

"PCB has sought compensation from the International Cricket Council over losses incurred last year," Zia said, referring to the estimated $20-25 million losses they sustained after India twice refused to tour Pakistan and then the West Indies forced it to play a series in Sharjah.

Brigadier Munawwar Rana, the director of the PCB, said that while he quite understood why the Australians were worried about touring, he asked that they wait until nearer the time before making any decision. "We would just like to repeat that we feel the other boards should allow time for the situation to be evaluated in its proper perspective."

James Sutherland, the Australian Cricket Board's chief executive, echoed Rana's comments. "We're still months away from the tour and there are plenty of things to work through in that time. Circumstances can change. I don't want to be getting into hypothetical situations." But if enough of their players refuse to travel then it will force the ACB's hand.

If the tour doesn't happen then the ICC's Test Championship will be in trouble, as it relies on all the countries playing each other at home and away over the next five years. If Pakistan and Zimbabwe become no-go zones then the Championship, already under fire from some quarters, would lose much of its credibility.

© Wisden CricInfo Ltd