May 19  
Waqar and Wasim urge Aussies not to call off tour

KARACHI: Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis Saturday urged Australia not call off their tour of Pakistan after a car bomb blast here last week raised security concerns.

"Last week's event was unfortunate but overall this beautiful world has become vulnerable to all sorts of mishaps so why single out Pakistan?" Pakistan captain Younis said.

"I would say to the Australians not to take a hasty decision and rule out cricket in Pakistan because we are committed to hosting good, positive cricket," he said.

Pakistan faces a serious dilemma in the wake of the May 8 blast in this volatile port city outside a hotel where Pakistan and New Zealand teams were staying. The early-morning blast shortly before the start of the second Test in Karachi killed 14 people, including 11 French naval officials. New Zealand decided to abort their tour.

"The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) provided New Zealand with the best security and they praised it but unfortunately an event, which was beyond anyone's control, took place," Younis said.

Australian players -- Shane Warne, captain Steve Waugh, Glenn McGrath - earlier this week ruled out going to Pakistan. Warne said he was not prepared to wait before making up his mind.

"If the tour is on, I don't think I will be going," the leg-spinner said. 

Warne's tour to Pakistan in 1994-95 was marred by match-fixing controversy and he missed the tour in 1998-99 due to injury. Waugh admitted it was a weighty dilemma but left a final decision to the ACB.

"You want to go out there and play cricket, but if you're in danger you've got to consider what the options are. 

They've got to send players over there who want to go." "If the players don't want to go there is not much point in sending a team," Waugh had said.

Akram, with over 400 wickets in both Tests and one-dayers, said he would love to have a last fling against the Aussies at home.

"They (Australians) beat us at home and then in Australia three seasons back so I would love to have another chance against them here," he said.

"It would be an exciting prelude to next year's World Cup, Pakistan play Australia in Australia, then a one-day tri-series followed by a Test series." Pakistan will face Australia in two indoor games in the Colonial Stadium in Melbourne and in an outdoor game in Brisbane next month, a series between two finalists of the 1999 World Cup which is triggering huge interest. Australia has hinted at playing Pakistan at neutral venues like Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, Tangiers in Morocco or Bangladesh.

"Playing at a neutral venue would be depriving the Pakistani people of excitment," Akram said. "Cricket is a passion in Pakistan and people would love to see it on their grounds."