Kiwis Want Safety First Policy

New Zealand Cricket Players' Association boss Heath Mills has urged the International Cricket Council to change the venue for September's Champions Trophy.

Pakistan are due to host the one-day tournament but concerns about security issues following a spate of bombings in recent months have been raised by several countries, including New Zealand, who believe the tournament should not go ahead in the strife-torn country.

The ICC board are due to make a decision on Thursday and Mills has called for player safety to be the determining factor.

"I'm hoping the right decision is made by the ICC board and that commercial considerations or politics don't get in the way of player safety when they make that decision." Mills told Radio Sport.

Mills attended a meeting in Dubai at the weekend where he was able to raise his concerns directly with the ICC and the various national boards as well as question security consultants and the Pakistani authorities.

But he said he had heard nothing that would alleviate concerns about the Black Caps travelling to Pakistan.

"We're not in a position where we could support players going to the Champions Trophy at the moment.

"We appreciate the position of the Pakistan Cricket Board and we feel somewhat sorry for them.

"What's going on in Pakistan is not of their making and they are working hard and are desperate to hold the tournament.

"But the fact is, their country is very fluid in terms of political violence at the moment and we have genuine concerns about our players safety while they would be there. We just can't support the team going at this point in time."

He added: "Certainly the English, Australia, South African and New Zealand players' associations are of the same mind on this. And to be fair, the various boards of those countries also share our concerns.

"It's all just a wait-and-see situation at the moment."

Some members of the current New Zealand side - Daniel Vettori, Scott Styris and Chris Martin - were part of the Black Caps side that were touring Pakistan in 2002 when a bomb exploded outside the team's hotel in Karachi, killing 15 people.