After the disappointment of Australia's Test tour and Champions Trophy postponement, PCB is now pinning hopes on the home series against India early in 2009 to shore up its financial resources.

The PCB has hit out at foreign players after South African captain Graeme Smith's opposition to the idea of having a tri-nation one-day series with Pakistan to compensate for the postponed Champions Trophy.

The Australian cricket team is "passionately keen" to tour Pakistan in April next year, despite the postponement of next month's Champions Trophy tournament over security concerns.

New Zealand cricket officials on Monday welcomed the decision to postpone the Champions Trophy cricket tournament in Pakistan, saying it was the right decision for security reasons.

The cricket boards of Australia and New Zealand have said they were keen to support and help out Pakistan cricket but not at the cost of sending their teams to play in conditions, which are deemed unsafe.

Even as the furore over safety in Pakistan during Champions Trophy was yet to calm down, Australia have raised new security concerns about their four-Test tour of Indian subcontinent in October.

The International Cricket Council on Saturday said it can only ensure players about the security measures put in place in Pakistan but cannot force players to appear in the Champions Trophy.

Holders Australia and other key nations could pull out of the Champions Trophy after the International Cricket Council decided to go ahead with the tournament in Pakistan, officials said on Friday.

International Cricket Council Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat on Thursday dismissed notion that it was under the Asian bloc's pressure that the ICC decided not to shift Champions Trophy out of Pakistan despite security apprehensions among some players.

Pakistan Cricket Board said the ICC has taken the decision in favour of Pakistan and has decided to go on with the Champions Trophy as scheduled.

As uncertainty looms large on Pakistan's chances of hosting the Champions Trophy in September, Board chairman Nasim Ashraf on Tuesday expressed confidence that the mega event will not be relocated from the country.

Amidst security concerns surrounding Champions Trophy in Pakistan, the International Cricket Council on Thursday said it would brief all the participating nations on the matter on Sunday.

Concerned about the security situation in Pakistan for the upcoming Champions Trophy there, the International Cricket Council has convened a meeting in Dubai this weekend to discuss the matter.

Even as the deadline to submit a list of probables for the Champions Trophy to the ICC nears its end, the Pakistan Cricket Board and its selectors are yet to decided on the inclusion of Shoaib Akhtar and Mohhamed Asif in the initial squad.

A series of bomb blasts in the country notwithstanding, the Pakistan Cricket Board is hoping the International cricket Council will not shift the Champions Trophy from Pakistan.

Prospects of Pakistan holding the Champions Trophy are bleak after the blasts in Islamabad sparked fresh security fears among Australian cricketers and the International Cricket Council (ICC) making it clear that it would not compromise with the security of the players.

The Indian Cricket Board has asseverated its support to hosting of the ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan, insisting it never doubted the successful organisation of the elite tournament across the border.

The International Cricket Council on Thursday upheld the two-year ban on West Indian batsman Marlon Samuels for bringing the game into disrepute.

The Indian cricket board will reportedly request the International Cricket Council to postpone the Champions Trophy one-day tournament and not relocate it, if some member countries still have their reservations about the security situation in Pakistan.

Pakistan Cricket Board on Wednesday got a shot in the arm with the Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani assuring foolproof security during the Champions Trophy in September.

After Australian cricketers expressed apprehensions over travelling to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy, English players have joined the chorus, threatening to boycott the biennial event.

Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is confident that his team will carry on the good form to win the Champions Trophy in Pakistan in September.

Clouds of uncertainty loomed large over the Champions Trophy in Pakistan as New Zealand Cricket Players' Association joined voices with its Australian counterpart in strongly objecting to the holding of the event in September, the month of Ramadan, due to concerns over safety and security of players.

Even as top International Cricket Council officials arrive in Pakistan for the logo launch of Champions Trophy on Wednesday, there is a question mark over the tournament itself as some teams and World players' body raising serious concerns over safety and security of players.