Cricket officials pad up in KL

Cricket officials pad up in KL

Rohan Sullivan, Associated Press

KUALA LUMPUR: The International Cricket Council, forced to shift its October meetings from Pakistan in the wake of the Sept. 11 terror attacks on America, will meet here Thursday and Friday with the main aim of salvaging cricket tours to Asia. New Zealand and Sri Lanka have already withdrawn from scheduled tours of Pakistan and the West Indies are yet to confirm planned tours to the region.

The problem could widen as officials from several nations say they will be guided by their governments' travel advisories about safety across Asia due to the U.S.-led military action in Afghanistan.

England officials are contemplating withdrawing from a tour of India next month and are seeking talks with Indian officials this week regarding security issues.

The ICC had expected the top issues at its executive board meeting this month to be umpires' powers, penalties for teams who failed to fulfill tour commitments and a business plan for the organization.

But the effects of the attacks on New York and Washington last month which killed more than 5,000 people and the global security crisis which followed will likely overshadow that agenda.