Colombo: After months of uncertainty, the International Cricket Council (ICC) — which is effectively controlled by an India-driven Asia — has ruled that the 2008 edition of the Champions Trophy will be held in Pakistan as scheduled.

However, security-related “perceptions” and “concerns” remain and so the ICC has constituted a high-powered Task team to manage them both before and during the September 11-28 tournament.

Indeed, the ICC’s chief executive, Haroon Lorgat, went to the extent of candidly saying: “As you can understand, on issues of security, you can’t have any guarantees...”

The Task team was set up after Thursday’s teleconference involving members of the Executive Board. The team includes two Indians — outgoing president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (and the ICC’s vice-president) Sharad Pawar and the world body’s principal advisor Inderjit Singh Bindra.

Expectedly, the Federation of International Cricketers’ Association also has a place on the Task team.

With the Asian group alone having as many as four votes among the Full (Test-playing) Members, despite the misgivings, there was no way Australia and Co. could have got seven out of 10 votes — the number needed to effect a change in venue.

“Some countries are in the habit of making an issue of security in this region... Well, we were determined not to succumb to any pressure, not after the Pakistan government had assured security of the highest order,” a well-placed source told The Telegraph.

It’s no secret that holders Australia, England, New Zealand and South Africa had strong reservations and there’s no guarantee that their top players will actually board the flight to Pakistan.

“That (possibility) is obviously a concern and will have to be managed by the Task team... Our security experts have said that the Champions Trophy is do-able in Pakistan, provided the plans are put in place,” remarked Lorgat.

Lorgat, who interacted with the media here, added: “We, however, know of no credible threat to the tournament itself or to any of the teams...”

Incidentally, that the teleconference took well over 2 hours indicates that major differences (in the perception, at least) cropped up.

Lorgat, for his part, chose to describe it as “vigorous debate.” That’s the official line.

THE ICC STATEMENT

The following is the statement issued by the ICC after Thursday’s teleconference:

Result of ICC Board teleconference — Champions Trophy remains in Pakistan.

Task team set up to manage concerns, liaise with embassies and Governments

The ICC Board today held a teleconference to discuss the location for this year’s Champions Trophy, at the end of which it reiterated its decision of 2006 to stage the event in Pakistan.

In arriving at that position the Board considered various security reports and discussed at length the concerns of some Members and stakeholders as well as the perceptions of Pakistan that may exist in some quarters. Those discussions lasted two-and-a-quarter hours.

In recognising those concerns and perceptions, the Board agreed they needed to be managed going forward, both before and during the tournament.

In order to do this, the Board decided to establish a task team whose terms of reference are as follows:

To ensure the effective implementation of the recommendations of the ICC’s independent security advisors; and

Liaise with various stakeholders, including embassies within Pakistan and other Governments, on an ongoing basis to ensure effective communication and the management of any concerns that may exist.