Karachi: The International Cricket Council (ICC) cancelled a development committee meeting scheduled here for next month after delegates refused to visit Pakistan over security fears, officials said on Wednesday.

"The ICC has conveyed to us that some of the delegates had concerns over their security and since the quorum was not complete the meeting would now be held in Amsterdam in the Netherlands on the same dates on October 20 and 21," an Asian Cricket Council (ACC) spokesman said. ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed was expected to preside over the meeting scheduled for the central city of Lahore. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Lieutenant General Tauqir Zia confirmed the news, but said he didn't know why the meeting had been cancelled. "We have been conveyed by the ICC about the cancellation, but no reason has yet been revealed," Zia said. "It would be obviously disappointing if the reason is security concerns because it would send the wrong signals yet again." Pakistan has become a high security zone for foreign teams and delegates since the United States launched military action on neighbouring Afghanistan in reprisal for the September 11 terrorist attacks last year. Pakistan's military government and Washington have accepted there are some al-Qaida terrorists still at large in the country. New Zealand postponed a tour of Pakistan last year and its rescheduled series in May had to be cut short after a suicide bomb blast outside its hotel. The ICC's executive committee meeting in October last year was also shifted to Kuala Lumpur, while Pakistan was forced to play its home series against the West Indies in Sharjah in February-March this year. Australia cancelled a Pakistan tour after a bomb blast outside the US consulate in Karachi on June 14, which left 12 dead. Pakistan will play its home Test series against Australia in Sri Lanka and Sharjah next month. The PCB said it has incurred losses to the tune of $ 20 million since last year and stands to lose spectator interest and more money if the situation persists.

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Tags: cricket, karachi, international cricket council (icc), development committee meeting, asian cricket council (acc), malcolm speed, pakistan cricket board (pcb), lieutenant general tauqir zia, al-qaida, terrorists, sharjah.

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